#you know that awoke something in mac

[deeenjoyer]

#MACANDCHARLIE: “okay i understand the plan, except for when we find the bride???” “don’t even start man”

i can finally post my contribution to the @its-always-ziney-in-philadelphia summer pride 2024 zine :3 so honored and stoked to be a part of it, go check it out!!

[allfryam]

the basement part 2

one morning as Austin was bringing food down to the basement, he noticed something. It was quiet. Too quiet. Something was wrong. Number one was still crying, number two looked to be asleep, bear was looking at Austin longingly, and number 4… NUMBER 4! Austin ran over to see number 4 had finally passed away. It seemed like he had a heart attack in the middle of the night.

with number 4 gone, Austin had a new slot open. He prepared to head to the college at midnight and start prowling for his next victim. He showed up wearing a black hoodie and some black sweat pants. Austin started looking by the frat houses. That’s where he usually found the best ones. After about an hour of searching, Austin was ready to give up until he saw something in a bush. He moved closer to see a man had passed out and fallen into a bush. He still had a twisted tea in his hand. He had curly brown hair and a nice tan. He was skinny but not scrawny. More athletic. Austin shook with excitement as he scooped him up and carried him back home.

~

Evan awoke with a fright. He looked around to see a dingy basement with a single overhead light, a dusty concrete floor, some old shelves, and most importantly, three men that appeared to be tied to chairs. Evan tried to move but he was also tied down he screamed and begged for help. “Dude! Shut up!” The man next to him said. He looked tired and dirty. And his clothes looked a bit tight. Evan quickly realized his screams were no help, and he stopped. Soon, a strange man opened a door and rolled a large cart of food through. The man next to Evan looked scared and began to cry. The other two men seemed fine. The one on the end actually looked a little excited. “Let’s start with you today” the strange man said to Evan. He began to grab food and force feed Evan. Evan didn’t know what was going on. He thrashed and turned his head away but the strange man did not give up. He fed Evan until he felt like he was going to throw up. Evan and his bloated belly sat in a daze as he continued to feed the rest of the men in the room. Then he quickly disappeared through the door he came in.

~

Austin was excited about his new victim. He always loved seeing the first pounds start to stick. He gathered the food for his second feeding of the day and headed into the basement. His new guy was passed out from the first feeding, but the others were attentive and ready. New guy awoke and began to scream. Austin groaned and started the feeding. 3 Big Macs. He chewed them slowly and cried as he was stuffed. Next came the bacon. Piece by piece, Austin had fed him an entire pack of thick cut bacon. New guy looked awful. His face was covered in grease and tears, and he began looking sick from all the food. But Austin continued. A large chocolate shake. He had to use a funnel for this one because new guy wouldn’t use the straw. An entire strawberry Cheesecake. Austin took handfuls of cake and forcefully stuffed them into new guy’s greasy mouth. He couldn’t even chew. Growing agitated, Austin pinched new guy’s nose so he had to eat to be able to breathe. He tried to hold out for as long as possible but he couldn’t. He swallowed the handful of cake and gasped for air. This cycle continued until the cake was gone and Austin finally moved to the next person.

~

It had been a little over a week since Evan had been captured. He looked down at his tight shirt that couldn’t cover his rapidly growing stomach. It looked like he had gained at least 15 pounds. His stomach was constantly full though, so you could never tell. His distended stomach rumbled in pain from his last feeding. After the initial shock of being kidnapped had worn off, Evan noticed the smell. The basement was filled with food scraps and bodily fluids. Austin didn’t have a bathroom down here so the guys just used the bathroom as they pleased. Once a week, Austin would hose them down and clean up the floor, but the smell was always there.

[666herescared]

Imaginary Shadow Dad) Ch.1: The Nights are the Hardest

—☆—

Remember that little tag from my post about my ask blog? Well, welcome to the ShadowDad AU!  In this AU, Mac never got revived by the Lady Bitch Demon, because he didn’t die. He hid in the shadows and has been regaining energy since the fight. Thanks to that, he’s not in her debt, because I don’t like writing angst unless I’m already having a mental breakdown.

—☆—

It’s scary being alone. Especially at night. Xiaotain knew that first hand. He was terrified of the dark. His parents always told him to just toughen up, but they didn’t really want him to. It made it easier to control him. Refuse a chore? Locked in the closet. Cry for attention? Locked in the closet. Specifically the closet because the pull string was too high for the poor six year old to reach. 

  He hated that they never showed a hint of sympathy for him, but who really would? He wasn’t even able to wash dishes right. He was just a useless little boy they never really wanted anyway. They just forgot to use protection one night and couldn’t afford to abort. 

  It wasn’t much better at school. He didn’t have any friends and was constantly struggling to focus. Every report card was a sentence to at least one night in the closet. No matter what, he knew better than to cry. Crying always made it worse. On lucky days though, when his parents weren’t home, he got to watch cartoons! He loved to see what imagination could do! He started stealing some of the printer paper and pencils to practice drawing in his room. He wanted to be a cartoonist someday. He thought it would be so cool!

  On one of his lucky days he discovered a show about this guy called “The Monkey King” who was just about the coolest guy he’d ever seen! He wanted to be like that one day, but he just wasn’t brave enough. He wanted to get braver, but he was even scared of the dark! According to the other kids in his class, only babies are scared of the dark. He didn’t wanna be a baby! He wanted to be a monkey!

  He wanted to lounge around in the jungle eating fruit to his heart's content. He started thinking that if he was braver, if he was stronger, maybe he could one day. So he decided to try some tactics he’d seen in his cartoons. Starting with getting over his fear of the dark.

  He chose to train himself away from being scared by turning off the light in his room and staying by the switch so he could turn it on again if he did get really scared. He managed a whole five minutes without freaking out on his first attempt, and his times only got better from there. By the end of the first month, he could handle half an hour! What he was confused by though was that it only seemed to apply to his room. So far at least. The dark was still scary everywhere else, but his room was starting to feel safe at night.

  The closet was still a plenty effective punishment. It was extra effective in fact. He didn’t know what it was, but something in the shadows was alive and it always went away the moment you turned on the light. He didn’t wanna stay scared of the dark, so he’d decided! He’d talk to the shadow monster once his “night sentence” came in.

  A few days later, he was locked in the closet as usual. He stuck near the door in the cramped space to have some sense of control, no matter how little it helped. He had no idea how to stop panicking. He felt as though the shadows were trying to grab him, and he couldn’t even see the walls. His parents left the room outside the door and turned off the light as they left, stopping any light from protecting him. He felt as though his shield had been ripped away, and now it was time for the swords. Xiaotain felt the shadows start shifting, as though they had just woken up. It quickly felt as though the walls were breathing and he wasn’t alone any more.

  The shadow monster shifted as it awoke, its eyes suddenly watching the kid panicking in its den. It reached out to touch the anxious little boy, who flinched away from its touch. Understandable. It wasn’t exactly corporeal.

  The young artist tried to calm his breathing, but it felt like someone was pushing his lungs, keeping him from steady breath. He tried counting his breath like that witch show taught him, but he kept choking before a second could pass. Ah, well. He was stuck all night anyway.

  The tendrils of shadow creeping underneath his skin was as if someone had pulled it up and was stroking the muscle. It felt invasive. It was like someone was both comforting him and scaring him at the same time! The darkness was only trying to do one of those though. Within an hour, the boy was too tired and hungry to panic. If only his punishment closet was the snack cupboard.

  Scared, alone, and cold, his stomach growled and he groaned. The worst part was that he’d be there till the next day, and even now, it was only 1:30 P.M. He felt the shadow press on his stomach and flinch away.

  The boy was skin and bones! He shouldn’t be dealing with this stuff without food! The creature slinked away to get something as the boy silently cried in the closet. He was lucky enough to find some campers in the darker parts of the forest. They were getting some hiking gear, and had left their snacks wide open. He looked for anything good he could find, but he didn’t know what the boy liked. Now that he’d thought about it, he hadn’t seen the boy eat before. Rage bubbled in his chest but he held it down. No. That’s not helpful.

  He decided to steal the bag of plain salted potato chips. It was the safest bet of things he wouldn’t have to make. He opened a portal under the bag and carried it through the shadows back to the boy’s house. The image that greeted him was nearly enough to make him cry. A little boy, no more than seven years old, ribs showing through a ripped shirt, with tear tracts streaming down his face, passed out in the most distressed position he’d seen from another person. 

  He was cold and shivering with every small draft from beneath the door, curled over himself in a desperate attempt for comfort. It made the Shadows’ blood boil. He wanted nothing more than to grab those idiots and torture them for traumatizing this poor cub! For now though, he needed to keep the kid alive. Can’t really protect a dead kid. 

  The shadows lightly placed the chips in front of the kid so as to not wake him, but even with how light the rustling was, it was a bag of chips, so of course it was loud. The kid woke up and shuffled even closer to the wall, like he thought the chips were gonna kill him. The darkness pushed them closer to entice the kid, who shook his head. The shadows tried again. The kid had to eat but he just shut his mouth tighter. The boy was mentally scrambling to figure out what to do when he remembered his original plan. He calmed his breathing and spoke.

  “I know you’re there.” The boy nearly whispered. A shadow touched his leg softly. Less invasive than before. “I-I know you’re here s-so… Show yourself!” The young boy tried to be brave and felt the shadows chuckle. “C-c’mon… I’m serious!”

  The darkness fell still, until small lights appeared. “Promise you won’t run?” The shadows requested. The child’s nod was quickly followed by purple light filling the closet’s opposing wall. He was finally able to get a clear look at what he’d been scared of and it was… A monkey? A shadow monkey? He wasn’t sure. It had three ears on either side of its head and a lantern in its hand. “Ta-da!~” the shadows sang, before looking back at the kid. “What is it, bud?” 

  The little boy had been staring at the lantern. “Why does the darkness have a lantern? And why aren’t you scarier?” He asked.

  The dark creature on the wall chuckled and said, “Well I’m just not that type of guy.” as it stepped into a somewhat corporeal form. He crouched down and grabbed the bag of chips, plucking one out and pointing it at the kid. “Now eat, or I’m force feeding you.” He demanded with an empty threat. 

  The cub shook his head. “No. Mommy and daddy will get mad.” 

  The shadow felt rage bubble up to the surface again. Of course they would. He wanted to just kill them and take the cub for himself, but he wasn’t strong enough yet. His body hadn’t fully healed. “Yeah? Well, these aren’t theirs and they aren’t here. So, eat.” The shadows were not having any of Xiaotain’s shit. 

  The boy looked concerned and asked, “Who’s are they then?”

  The shadow rubbed his brow. Of course the kid was a goodie two shoes. Otherwise he woulda killed those bastards himself. “They’re ours now, kid. So stop asking questions and eat!” He said, exasperated as he shoved a chip in the kid’s mouth. The boy started chewing slowly as the shadow watched him. “What’s your name anyways, kiddo?” The shadow asked as the kid started shoveling chips into his mouth. 

  The younger swallowed his mouthful before answering. “Qi Xiaotain! Who are you?” He said, making the shadow chuckle.

  “I go by a lot of names, kid. Come up with one.” He replied. He’d seen the boy watching that show. He’s not exactly shown in the best light there.

  “Can I call you ‘Shadow Dad’?” The boy chuckled, clearly kidding.

  Oh how he’d regret that joke. “Yeah, that works.” The shadow said, holding back some joy. He just had a proper conversation with the cub and he’s already being called dad? Does it really matter that it was a joke?

  “Wait. I didn’t mean for real!” The kid said with anxiety in his tone. To him it did.

  But to the darkness… “Nope! I’m Shadow Dad now. Nice to meet you Xiaotian!” He teased and picked up the cub who yelped in surprise as he was swung side to side for a moment. The newly titled ‘Shadow Dad’ then plopped down with the kid in his arms, smiling eyes glowing down on him. “But seriously kid, why’re you already calling me that?”

  Sure, the shadow liked the title, but he didn’t understand the kid dropping his guard so early. “You did a thing my cartoons told me dads do. You brought me food.” He answered once he had calmed down. The darkness didn’t like that the boy specified his cartoons showed him dads do that. “Oh no! What if my actual dad hea-” 

  “Shh.. Your parents are asleep. Trust me.” Shadow Dad stated, placing one hand behind three of his ears. “They aren’t waking up for a while. You should sleep too, little sky.” He whispered, punctuating the sentence with a boop on the nose. The boy nearly panicked until he was stopped by the darkness saying, “Don’t worry. I’ll be here all night.” and nuzzling the tiny creature in his arms.

  True to his words, the shadow didn’t leave, and when morning came, he waited for the kid to wake up before returning to the dark. The tiny yawn the equal size child gave just made the creature all the more fond. How this happened, no one knew. The child was just so sweet and small. You’d never think he’d have the ability to betray someone. It made it so easy to let down your walls. “G’morning, Shadow Dad..” The kid muttered as he woke up.

  The shadow placed him gently in front of him. “Good morning, Xiaotian. Have a pleasant dream?” The creature asked. The kid nodded, turned around and laid back against the shadow’s lap. He couldn’t help his instincts telling him to groom the cub, and of course, the kid was fine with it. He almost passed out again, but the shadow started snapping in front of his face. “Stay awake now, bud. You have school and your parents are coming to let you out.”

  His… No, the kid’s eyes snapped open at that and he started panicking. “B-but Shadow Dad! I don’t wanna go! Can’t I stay?” The cub pleaded.

  The darkness sighed. He didn’t want the kid to go either. It’s lonely in the shadows, but he needed to go. Until the boy’s actual parents did something unforgivable, he would have to give the boy less comfort than he could. “Here, bud.” He said as he handed the boy a smaller lantern. “If you ever need me, turn this on. I’ll be there as fast as I can.” His ears twitched. “You might wanna hide it, though. Your parents are coming and I don’t think they’ll want you talking to me.”

  As his Shadow Dad stood and grabbed his own lantern, Xiaotain shoved his in his pocket and grabbed the other’s wrist. “What if I wanna see you in class?” He asked in a frenzy.

  “I doubt anyone’s gonna immediately jump to you sneaking a living shadow into class. Anytime. As long as you’re fully dressed.” He couldn’t help but add. The cub immediately started going ‘ew! Gross! No!’ as his new friend chuckled. “Hehe. Alright. See you around, Xiaotain.”

  “Bye Shadow Dad!”

—☆—

Alright! End of chapter one! As always, feel free to make whatever you want in this AU and tell me any critiques. Now, as always,

Have fun, and happy scrolling!

Next- Chapter 2

[eunchancorner]

Revenged and Rescued (Part 15)

I've had this shit ready since last night. Minor TW bc it does get a little heavy with implying what went down but nothing explicit is ever said

-

That morning that Henry awoke with Charles in his bed, things changed almost immediately. When the pilot shifted and woke up as well, he didn’t speak, for a moment, but Henry could tell he was smiling. He pulled him closer, humming softly before he finally spoke.

“If I’m still asleep right now, no one wake me up…” he requested, earning a soft chuckle from Henry.

“I can second that…” he mumbled in response.

“What did we even do last night…? Everything’s so blurry…”

“I dunno… I remember drinking and… maybe some dancing… I think we kissed, but I forgot…”

“Last Friday night…” the pilot sang quietly, earning another soft laugh from Henry.

“You’re awful…”

“I thought I was the best?”

“Heh, that too… this is so nice…”

“Mhm… too bad we gotta get up…”

Henry whined in response, but sighed.

“Alright… just… five more minutes, alright?”

“Make it ten…”

“Heh, deal…”

And for ten more minutes they stayed like that, just enjoying each other’s company and warmth. When they finally did get up, they got ready and left the tent together, hand in hand as they made their way to the bonfire pit, where Eel, Andrew, Phlex, Mac and Madd were already sitting. Madd looked absolutely terrible, while the other four looked about as fine as they normally did.

“There’s the latest lovebirds,” Mac greeted them with a smile as they sat, earning a small, startled chuckle from Henry.

“Lovebirds, huh? Did we make it that obvious last night?” he asked, looking at Charles, and Madd groaned quietly.

“I had to sleep outside last night, and I fucken heard you two idiots. Just the noises coming out of that tent were too much information,” he told them.

“Oho god, did we really do that much?” Charles asked, and Eel nodded.

“Apparently. All I got before I went to bed was you two making out, but it was kinda obvious it would escalate. But you two aren’t the only ones. You guys know why Madd had to sleep outside last night, right?” he asked, and realization dawned on Henry.

“Woah, well, good for Quentin, guess he got what he wanted. I just hope it’s as much as he wants and not just a one-time thing,” he said.

“Well, we’ll see when they get up. But for now, it’s pretty obvious how far you two are taking this,” Mac pointed out.

“I guess… what about the twins, where are they?” Charles asked, looking where the brothers usually sit.

“They’re still asleep, you know how bad their hangovers are, even if they only get a little drunk… God, it makes me wonder why they even drink at all,” Eel sighed, shaking his head.

“Well, as long as we all had fun last night, right?” Charles said, earning a chuckle from Mac.

“Judging by that video Eel took, it sure looks like you guys did. I kinda wish me and Phlex could’ve been there, but hey, you do what you can,” he shrugged, patting his feral boyfriend on the head.

Suddenly Anthony emerged from Quentin’s tent, stretching out and peering back, seeming to talk to someone before heading down to the mess hall. Henry watched him go, before something else caught his attention.

A flock of birds and an odd disturbance in the woods near the medical tent made him squint in that direction, but he couldn’t see anything. For some reason, though, he got the feeling something was wrong…

“Something got your eye, Henry?” Charles suddenly asked, and Henry turned back to him, shaking his head.

“Coulda swore I saw something… probably just an animal, though. Nothing important,” he shrugged as he turned his attention back to the others. After a short while, Anthony walked up to them.

“How are you guys doing?” he asked, sitting where Quentin normally does. Madd gave him a confused look.

“Uh, fine? What’d you do with Quent? Where is he?”

“Oh, he’s still in his cot, recovering from last night. As for what I did with him, you don’t wanna know~”

“Oh… ew…” Andrew mumbled to himself as he rolled his eyes.

“God, can we stop talking about what people did with other people last night?” Madd groaned. “I feel like we all got the concept by now.”

And sure enough, the topic pivoted away from that to various other things that had happened last night; the twins had broken an empty crate, Madd had managed to ‘misplace’ some of Calvin’s money, Andrew had somehow managed to figure out Quentin’s middle name and refused to tell anyone, and at some point, Vicky had brought over some snacks that Henry and Charles had missed.

During all these discussions, they were finally joined by their three absent friends, all of whom looked a little worse for wear, but still talked just the same. And for a while, everything was calm. It seemed like everything was finally gonna calm down.

He should have known better.

An enraged scream suddenly sounded from the medical tent. An almost instant, silent agreement was reached between Henry and Charles and they were up and running towards the source, who came stumbling out of the tent, clutching a paper in his hand; Rupert.

“HE FUCKING CAME BACK!”

“Who?! Who came back?!” Henry asked as the angered ravenette made a beeline for the general, forcing him to stop in his tracks.

“PETROV! PETROV CAME BACK AND HE’S TAKEN DAVE!”

[wheretheresaway-theresawilliam]

Chapter 15: Ghosts of The Past

Word Count: 1038

TWs: Implied murder, brief gore mentions, themes of childhood trauma

/) /) ( • ༝•)

Vanessa awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of her father entering the room.

“Dad??”

He walked over to her bedside table and pulled the chain on her rabbit-themed lamp, briefly blinding her.

“Sorry, darling, I didn’t mean to wake you… but I’ve got to rush out to Freddy’s, and I was wondering if maybe you’d like to come with me. See what the place is like when no one else is around.” He smiled playfully and offered his hands. Vanessa glanced at her alarm clock.

“It’s past midnight…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell if you don’t.” He winked as she yawned. “And you don’t have to change out of your pyjamas if you don’t want to… but think about it, nobody will be hogging Tapper for once.”

Curious, Vanessa took his hand and got out of bed. He turned off her lamp and the two walked through the dark halls, quietly slipping on their shoes and padding out the front door. They got into William’s car. He let his daughter sit up front and encouraged her to pick a good CD for the short trip. Fleetwood Mac accompanied them as they pulled into the parking lot. The only light came from a security light positioned above the doors of the restaurant, which the two made their way toward like moths to a flame. Vanessa rubbed her hands together. It wasn’t a particularly cold night, but it felt strange and vulnerable to be awake when it seemed nobody else was. Without questioning, she went straight for the arcade after her father turned on the power. She played Tapper until he reappeared at her side.

“There’s something I’d like you to see.” There was a strange glint in his eyes as he drew her away from the machine. They entered the main hall.

“The animatronics??” Vanessa asked in a bored tone, “Dad--”

“No, no… children, I’ve brought you a friend,” he addressed the robotic animals. Vanessa stared at him, confused… then a chill ran through her and her eyes were drawn back to the stage. The animatronics were all staring at her. Freddy began to move, slowly walking toward the edge of the stage… his friends in close pursuit, all wanting to get a closer look at Vanessa. The closer they came, the more panic rose in her. What was that red between their joints? That glimpse of fleshiness in the cracks and crevices of the suits? That godawful smell?

“Don’t look so distraught, butterfly,” William’s attempt at soothing her sounded as if he were halfway across the room instead of directly beside her, “it was for their own good. Negligent parents don’t deserve children. I know that, now. But I still have you… and I would never hurt you.”

“What did you do??” Vanessa whispered, unable to look away.

“I saved them. I gave them imperishable bodies.” So long as upkeep is maintained. She tore her gaze away enough to spy a bulletin board, dotted with missing posters. Clutching her chest, she began to back toward the wall.

“They’re hurting…” She could hear an unfamiliar wailing in her mind, the sound of a child in distress.

“Oh please, they can’t hurt…” William’s voice was flat, “they’re dead.”

Vanessa buried her head in her arms as her back pressed up against the wall, sobbing. “Go away… please, make it go away…” She could feel their anguish, their confusion, their longing. He made them keep their distance. Disappointment coursed through William. This was nothing to be afraid of. Still, he took her back home, saying nothing. She was never the same after that.

In the present day, Vanessa finished her story and swallowed, feeling numb as she studied her bedroom ceiling. “Does that really sound like someone you want to call ‘dad?’” She asked.

“He proved the existence of life after death and you resent him for it?!” Vanita’s voice broke as she snapped at her. “I want to see them.”

“See what?? Who?” Vanessa had burnt up what remained of her energy, her expression dull. That’s all you got out of that, huh?

“Those haunted animatronics!”

“Can’t. Whole place was bulldozed. Nothing was salvaged.”

Vanita’s face was flushed in frustration. “But why?! Even if the place wasn’t a crime scene, why would you just toss away all that history?!”

“Haven’t you learned anything from being employed by the Fazbear Entertainment Company? If it can be swept under the rug, set on fire, and otherwise steam-rolled out of existence, they’ll do it for the guise of a spotless reputation.”

Sawyer returned to the bedroom. “I found some things, might be useful.” He pat his bag. “Put ‘em in here. I think we should get out of here soon, Vannie…”

“Maybe you two deserve each other,” Vanessa muttered after clearing her throat. “A cruel daughter to match a sadistic father.”

“Even our hostage agrees it’s fate,” Vanita hummed to Sawyer. He didn’t respond. Passing over her partner’s silence, she unbound Vanessa’s body. “Well, thanks for nothing.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Vanita left the room, brushing past Sawyer, who remained still for a moment. Silently, he crept toward Vanessa, who was now stretching her limbs. “She’s been poisoning you with elderberries and banberries,” he whispered. It took a moment for this to register.

“How…?”

“At first, she was putting a liquid mixture in your coffee at work when you weren’t looking, then she began breaking in and putting it in your water pitcher… probably poured it all over your cups, too, knowing you wouldn’t have the strength to wash any of them. I know this isn’t the time, but you should really be locking your front door, even when you’re home.”

“Fuck… wait, why’re you telling me this?”

“Because I don’t like where I’m at. I can’t do anything about it because she’d probably kill me if I tried to leave, so I’m doing what I can.”

“Sawyer, I thought you were in a hurry to GTFO!” Vanita shouted from the other room.

“I’m sorry.” With that, Sawyer left, closing the bedroom door behind him. Vanessa was now determined to get enough strength to call Ginny. She might be her only chance to make sure Vanita got what she deserved.

[djretard]

lydia mode first and then picrews I have to find them all....

okay so lydia. first go and put on gold dust woman by fleetwood mac bc that inspired her in totality. you don't have to do that I just had to mention it somewhere. anyways. I explained her pretty well in my document for my mom so I'm just going to post that and then elaborate.

the age is just for the time period of the murders, currently she would be. ummm. around 33. anywho. no one really knew who lydia was back in the day, she literally only went out at night and even if you did wind up talking to her she's the type to make you turn around and look at something and then when you turn back around she has completely disappeared. BUT. in the rarity that she did speak to someone, she was noted to be friendly and playful, a little seductive (in a playful, not serious way), and... a little nutty? she just said weird things a lot of the time.

another weird thing was that she never attended the church with frankie, despite being his wife and his kid always being there. they met bc he was on a walk in the woods around his home when he heard a woman singing. and like you would to a siren he followed the source of the noise and brought her home with him. and then she never left, and they had steven.

anyways. the Belmont and the Davis households were close, with lydia and tom being especially friendly with one another. around the time the murders started, lydia began sneaking out of the house at night and meeting up with tom. frankie knew this, but chose not to address it. the general consensus is that they were having an affair. no one knows for sure. their meetings only increased after raina's death and as the murders continued. then, in a blink of an eye, they were gone. plus steven. know one knows what happened while they were gone, where they went, or why the bright steven with them. one would initially expect a mother to take her child with her, but frankie notes that lydia was never a particularly involved mother. frankie did most of the raising.

tom has never commented on her whereabouts or whether or not she was directly involved in the murders. some see her as a victim of toms, a woman who he manipulated into involving herself. some see lydia as the evil one, a vixen who seduced a married man and made him do her dirty work. others float their opinions somewhere in the middle. no one knows the truth but tom and lydia, and where one clams up, the other remains unseen.

another question comes up. if you had some reason to take your child with you, why abandon him in the woods after the confrontation? why not take him with you? and on top of it, steven has chronic nightmares that he cannot remember, the only ones he can remember being awful dreams about his mother. the last one he recounted was one where his mother lay crumpled on the floor, a bloody pulp that could have only be recognized by him. Then, she began to rise, an amalgamation of meat and bones, and whilst he stand frozen she rushes towards him, reaching desperately for him. he awoke with a quote in her voice ringing in his ear

"mama sees things too."

that was a little dramatic at the end there Lol but it's a dramatic scene 🧍

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

A large box materialized in the corner of the room, decorated gaudily with purple wrapping paper, a bright red bow, and raw macaroni glued over practically every visible inch of the box. If you listened closely, you could make out the occasional giddy giggle coming from the inside of the box whenever it wiggled, demanding the attention of the beautiful birthday boy.

“Vil’s gonna love this!” Mac gushed to themself from the inside of the box, dressed up in thick clown makeup and an equally excessive clown outfit. “He’ll open the box up, and I’ll pop out to greet him and tell him that I’ll be his birthday present and his personal footstool, if he wants…”

Within the darkness of the box, they flushed a bright red, fanning their face like the lovestruck fool they were. Whenever they could make out the sound of his heels clacking on the attic floor, Mac shivered excitedly at the thought of his feet slamming down on their back and keeping their face shoved against the floor for them to drool onto.

The beautiful Queen needs a loyal court, and was there anyone better than to play the role of the court fool than the head empty pasta fanatic? Mac thought not.

*pokes Mac with a stick*

Come get your dinner.

At long last, evening had set in, and the last of Vil’s fan club had been sated and sent off for the day. The once brilliant blue sky had darkened to a deep violet--nearly black--and the stars, one by one, awoke from their daytime slumber to play amid the moonlight. Night Raven College, touched in silver, was a new world entirely.

Vil ran a hand along the nape of his neck and sighed.

“Excellent work, Roi du Poison!” Rook sang, patting his dorm leader on the back. “You’ve survived the onslaught--though you appear to be a little worse for wear from it.”

“I am not in need of your insightful commentary at this time, Rook,” Vil warned, his tone pointed.

The huntsman did not flinch--not a single beat missed. He removed his hat and held it close to his chest as he dipped into a bow. “Oui.”

A moment elapsed before Rook lifted his head, eyes creased teasingly. “... Though I would still advise you, mon roi, to retire early for the evening. All this stress may lead to a breako--”

“I am in need of some fresh air,” Vil declared sharply. “If you have need of me, I will be outside.”

“... Bien sûr.”

The birthday boy turned and swept out of the stuffy attic. Down the staircase he descended, and out into the bitter night air--or rather, he would have, were it not for ramming his foot into an oddly placed box, covered in bright purple and red, and raw macaroni pieces.

Vil hissed and drew his foot back--but to his alarm, the box began... wiggling intensely and... giggling?

“What in the name of the Great Seven is this doing here?” he wondered out loud, but no response came.

Out of curiosity, Vil cautiously prodded the box with his foot again. The touch immediately elicited another loud giggle.

Something... No, someone is in there. Vil brought a hand to his forehead, heaving another sigh (what number was it now?).

His manager had warned him about accepting suspicious packages--particularly crazed or rowdy fans would sometimes send nasty pranks or parcels with dangerous goods inside. He wasn’t about to risk his health and safety for a shady package. Vil would go fetch Rook to open it for him--

Bu then it happened.

The box flew open, and out erupted...

A clown.

Quintessential--face painted a stark white, garishly colorful lips, eyes, and cheeks, a bulbous and round nose, a fluffy rainbow wig... Even the outfit was clownish, the fabric baggy but bright, with a frilly collar, gloves, and massive shoes that squeaked with even the slightest movement.

The clown let out a whoop of excitement, leapt out of the box, and eagerly honked their nose. It squeaked loudly, like a dog’s chew toy or a kazoo.

Vil stumbled back a few steps in complete and utter astonishment. He squinted through the thick clown makeup and gaudy clothing, his mind slowly piecing together the familiar facial features.

The cheesy potato.

“Mac... Is that you?”

“Heehoo,” Mac honked their nose again. They wore the widest, goofiest grin Vil had ever witnessed, even by the standards of his most lovestruck of followers. “Happy, happy birthday, Vil!!”

He ignored the greeting and cut to a question. “... Dare I ask why it is that you are dressed in such an outlandish getup?”

“Hehehe... Actually! It’s cuz... I’m your birthday present!!” Mac declared, splaying their arms out.

“You... what?”

“I’m your birthday present!!” They repeated, practically vibrating with zeal. “Cuz every queen needs a loyal court jester...!!”

“I am in no need of such--”

“Please please please please PLEASE let me serve you!!” Mac wailed desperately, flinging themselves at Vil’s feet. “I’ll tell the dumbest jokes, and I can be your personal human footstool--you can step on me whenever you want!! I’ll make you the tastiest, cheesiest pasta, and maybe we can get closer and then move in someplace together and live a nice domestic life, and have lots of kids--I’ve already got their names picked out--and and and...”

“Stop. You’re drooling,” Vil said coldly. His cruel, frigid tone sent a shiver down Mac’s spine, filling them with a sense of ecstasy that only he could deliver.

“Heheheh...” They wiped saliva from the corner of their mouth with the back of their hand. “Sorry, I just get so excited when I talk about you.”

“I know,” Vil groaned, cradling his forehead in a hand. “... I know.”

“Are you... angry with me? I-If you are, please take out your rage by stomping all over my back and snapping me like a glowstick!! PLEASE USE ME, SCHOENHEIT!!”

“You never seem to stop spouting nonsensical logic.”

“I don’t need logic...!! Because I have something way better than logic: LOVE!!”

Vil glanced away.

A deathly silence fell over the foyer.

For one horrible, dreadful moment, Mac thought they had done something wrong. It wasn’t like Vil--confident, beautiful Vil--to be at such a loss for words. Was he so terribly cross that he couldn’t even bring himself to spit out any insults at them? Did he hate them so much that he didn’t even deem them worthy to receive his vitriol?  

“H-Hey, Vil... Did I.. Did I go too far?”

“... Pfft.”

“Huh?”

Laughing.

Vil was laughing.

Well, not a full-on deep, rumbling belly laugh. It was more like a faint chuckle, soft and delicate, like wind chimes blowing in the spring breeze.

“You never cease to amuse,” Vil remarked, his perfectly groomed brows pinching together, and his lips forming a mocking smile. “Lifting my mood after a long and arduous day certainly takes talent. Perhaps you are more suited to playing the role of court clown after all.”

“Ah, I... I am?” Mac perked up. “I am!! See, see? I can make myself ultra useful to you, Vil--so please accept me as your birthday present!!”

“Hmm. We shall see about that. For now, though...” Vil bent down to meet you at eye level and, extending a hand, he pulled you up from your miserable heap back onto two feet. “We should return to the party.”

“W-We?!” Mac’s heart fluttered.

“... Do your ears work? Yes, I said we. I won’t have you sitting here cold and alone, like some sad, limp noodle that was never properly cleaned up. You will join the birthday festivities, the same as any of my other guests. Is that clear?”

“Yessir!! Whatever you want, Vil!!”

“Good. Now let us away.”

And so, hand in hand, the queen and his clown headed off to their gala.

[commonwealthoccurences]

Companions React: Sole Has Chronic Insomnia and Falls Asleep Abruptly

Cait:

When Sole dropped in the middle of a fight, she swore they’d been shot. She felt her heart sink as she raced across the field to get to them, cursing the universe for letting them get hurt yet again. When she couldn’t find any wound on them, she was even more alarmed; internal wounds were something close to an instant death sentence in the Commonwealth.

After dragging them somewhere somewhat safe and ending the fight, Cait rushed them back to Sanctuary, thanking the stars that they were somewhat close by. She’d been too wrapped up in preparing for their battle that she hadn’t noticed any signs that might’ve pointed to what was going on with them. Guilt ate at her until the medic returned to the front of the clinic to speak with her. “It appears it was simply exhaustion that caused them to pass out. We’ll keep them here and make sure to monitor them, but they’ll be fine.”

Cait breathed a sigh of relief, sitting back in her chair and staring up at the ceiling for a moment. She knew they were an insomniac, but not to this extent. Was there something she could’ve done? She recalled all the times they brushed off her encouragement to sleep, knowing that it wouldn’t help and they’d just end up laying in bed all night wishing they weren’t conscious. Cait rubbed her fingertips across her forehead and pressed her lips together. Feeling helpless was her least favorite experience, and yet, there she was, chronically unable to help.

Curie:

Curie was more than concerned the first time Sole fell asleep sitting up in the middle of talking to Preston. She politely told Preston she’d take care of them and that they must’ve gotten a poor night’s sleep, indirectly asking him to leave. Of course she’d noticed they were struggling to get sleep recently, if the bags and dark circles under their eyes were to be taken as indicators, as well as their sluggish movements and lack of patience as of late.

She eased them out of their chair and onto the floor, not wanting them to wake up with a sore neck from being propped up at the meeting table. They kept a spare blanket on their couch in case any settler needed to stay with them, so she grabbed it and spread it over them. Their back may be a little sore in the morning, but it was the best she could do for them.

With a sigh, she watched them, finally resting yet seeming so worn in appearance anyway. There had to be a way to solve their insomnia, to finally get them a good night’s sleep that wasn’t due to dropping from running on empty for so long. She knew that even on days like these they didn’t wake up refreshed; it was like emerging from a coma, weighed down by their body trying to take advantage of any moments of rest they got. Her heart ached for them.

Danse:

Danse was no stranger to late nights and the haunting nightmares that so frequently taunted members of the Brotherhood. He watched Sole’s behavior turn into more and more evidence that they weren’t sleeping, despite the obvious signs that they so desperately needed it. They were slow to act, their reaction time lengthening, and lost their temper with more than one member of the Brotherhood. Part of him grew frustrated, but the other half of him knew they wouldn’t be experiencing these things if they had a choice.

He requested their presence at an important meeting, valuing their intelligence and insight and also hoping to have a conversation with them afterwards since they seemed too busy to talk as of late. When they entered the room they looked ready to drop at any moment and Danse felt the concern in him spike alarmingly. If they continued like this any longer they would be making mistakes they couldn’t afford, possibly including getting themself killed.

Wanting to monitor them closely, he gestured to the seat next to him and waited the couple of moments they took to realize he wanted them to sit next to him. With a flash of a smile they couldn’t bring to reach their eyes, they made their way slowly across the room and dropped into the seat next to him. The way they treated their own body like dead weight they could no longer bear made him suck in a breath. There was no way they were still healthy. Selfishly, he missed the brightness they often brought with them.

It was several minutes after Elder Maxson began talking that he realized they’d completely passed out. Considering they were one of the most reliably professional members of the Brotherhood, he knew the situation was even more serious than he’d realized.

Once Maxson paused for breath, Danse stood, uncomfortable with the attention that was immediately turned to him. “I apologize for the interruption, Elder, however I believe Sole needs to seek medical attention.” Elder Maxson turned to look at Sole, slumped over in their chair looking like the dead warmed over, and nodded his assent. Danse quickly reached down and pulled them carefully out of their seat and into his arms. It was a quiet walk to the infirmary, his boots echoing in the empty halls, Sole’s breathing blowing air across the skin on his neck.

Once they were properly situated in the clinic, the doctor reassured him that they were fine if not a little dehydrated and definitely exhausted, and he was seated in the chair beside their bed, he allowed himself to sink back and think. When had their issues started? Probably long before he met them, but he never had the time to pay attention to what they were going through; it was mission after mission, meeting after meeting, and he did what he could for them, but it wasn’t much at the end of the day.

Danse knew he didn’t have much time to keep them company; he was required to hurry back to the meeting as soon as possible. However, he did take a moment to make sure the blankets were tucked around him and check in with the doctors once again before he stood. Once he had free time he’d have to have a discussion with Sole about ways they could help their insomnia.

Deacon:

Deacon was used to Sole’s unfortunate habit of passing out in the middle of important conversations. When they began swaying on their feet in the middle of the Railroad’s discussion of infiltrating the Institute, he simply wrapped his arm around their waist and pulled their arm over his shoulder as they began to drop. He kept them on their feet without pulling his attention away from the conversation and eventually managed to move them in a way that he could pull them onto his back.

Desdemona paused for a moment to give a look of concern their way, also somewhat aware of Sole’s terrible sleeping habits, but continued to take feedback on the plans. Deacon shifted their weight carefully, supporting the backs of their thighs, their head resting on his shoulder. A few members of the Railroad gave them confused looks but he waved them off with a simple shrug.

As soon as the meeting broke Deacon carried Sole to their sleeping back and eased them down as carefully as he could. It seemed fruitless, though, to be so cautious considering they were out like a light. He knew they’d be out for a while and threw a blanket over them before returning to what he was doing before the meeting. They’d catch up to him when they were awake and ready, and he’d continue to look for a solution to their insomnia.

Gage:

The first time Sole passed out during a conversation with the gang leaders, he thought they were fucking with him. The second time, when they were staking out part of the Nuka Cola factory and simply dropped like a sack of potatoes, he began to get concerned. The third and fourth time after that he was considering running an intervention until they explained there was simply nothing either of them could do other than try to let them sleep when they could.

Gage quickly grew used to catching them before they could hit the ground and easing them somewhere suitable before they got hurt some other way. The raider leaders knew not to question anything and simply move on with the negotiations as Gage either supported Sole’s weight or carefully held them upright in a seat. The one time they questioned Sole’s capabilities as a leader, Sole was a force to be reckoned with when they found out later on.

Hancock:

Hancock was immediately concerned when Sole seemed to faint in the middle of discussing their travels to Pickman’s Gallery. He’d never seen someone so exhausted their body simply shut down and when they awoke he asked a few questions, attempting to figure out if there was something he could do for them. He suggested chems, alcohol, everything Sole had already thought of and tried to no avail. Worried about a good friend and, quite frankly, one of his best assets, Hancock recruited a few people to begin researching creating a chem to help them with their chronic insomnia. 

MacCready:

Mac had been on the receiving end of more than his fair share of insomniatic late nights and knew quite easily the signs that Sole was going through the same thing. This led him to stick close by them as their movements grew more and more sluggish, their feet dragging against the dusty rooftop they were perched on in an attempt to get a birds-eye view of the Gunners. At first, the plan had been to infiltrate right away, wanting to waste no time in getting the information they needed.

However, as they struggled to keep up the slow pace Mac had set, he changed his mind quickly. “Hey, Sole. Why don’t you go ahead and sit down and I’ll set up everything.” 

Sole eyed him suspiciously for a moment, knowing it was rare for him to so generously offer to take first watch, but was too tired to do anything but shrug it off. Mac began unpacking his trusty sniper and getting them settled on the rooftop as Sole sat down nearby, kicking their feet up on a barrel that had been long rusted into place. A few minutes ticked by as Mac worked silently. When everything was good to go, he pulled away from looking through the scope and turned to check on his companion.

With a light chuckle he realized they were fast asleep, jaw hanging slightly open as they slept. As long as they got some sleep, he was willing to stay on the rooftop in the name of recon for as long as they needed.

Maxson:

Elder Maxson’s attention was yanked across the room when Danse stood up and requested to take Sole to the infirmary. Concern crept across his features as he examined their worn form. He’d noticed they were struggling to sleep lately if their dark circles and slumped figure were anything to go by, and had been considering calling them in for a discussion about it. Apparently he had acted too slow. 

With a quick word he postponed the meeting and gestured to attending medical staff to check on them. He stood nearby, hands clasped behind his back tensely as he watched them examine Sole, curious Brotherhood members shuffling out of the meeting room quickly. “They simply passed out from exhaustion, Elder Maxson.” The attending doctor announced.

He sighed quietly to himself and nodded. That’s exactly what he’d figured. “I’ll take things from here.” Maxson’s tone held an undertone of mutually understood dismissal.

Carefully, Maxson eased Sole’s weight out of their seat and into his own grasp. The best plan was to take them back to their quarters and let them get sleep; he would have to remove them from the list of soldiers being sent out tomorrow. Mentally, he thanked the stars that they hadn’t passed out in the middle of a mission and instead safely on the Prydwen.

It was a somewhat uncomfortable walk to their quarters, with members rarely seeing Maxson walking about the airship instead of holed up in his own quarters, much less carrying a soldier as he did. He was grateful they had the decency not to stare too long and instead sent him their regards as he made his way through the halls. When he managed to get their door open and enter their quarters, he couldn’t help his curious look around.

Their quarters were well put-together and neat, their other uniforms folded on top of their dresser and their paperwork stacked concisely on their desk. Pushing away his curiosity he carried them across the room to their bed and lowered them carefully, wincing as their head rolled to an awkward angle. Maxson adjusted their blankets and turned out the light before closing the door softly behind him.

Nick:

To be fair, due to Nick’s lack of need for sleep, he never connected the dots that their ill-appearance had something to do with the fact that they never seemed to sleep. Nick did, however, express concern that maybe they were coming down with something and would prefer to rest. When Sole waved this off he remained worried but chose to drop it. 

It was when they were in the middle of discussing their own case with Nick and their consciousness started slipping that he realized what was going on. With a sigh at his own inability to realize what was going on with them, he eased them into laying down on the couch instead of sitting upright, and drew a blanket over them. After a quick word with Ellie to keep the office quiet, he settled back into his chair.

Piper:

Piper was no stranger to sleepless nights that drew into borderline-sleepless weeks. She attempted to coax Sole into taking a break and sleeping, especially when they were talking about investigating for a story and began falling asleep mid-sentence, but Sole shrugged off her concern with a comment about insomnia and made an attempt to continue the conversation.

The unfortunate side effect of their lack of sleep returned swiftly after and took them right back out of the discussion, much to Piper’s dismay. She moved them until they were reclined on her couch and cursed the fact that they had so much on their plate and their body wouldn’t let them sleep. She made a note to herself to discuss researching other ways to solve their insomnia before she stepped outside, deciding to get lunch to give them some peace and quiet.

Preston:

Preston often took it upon himself to monitor Sole’s condition; if the General wasn’t in the best shape they could be, the Minutemen wouldn’t be either. However, no matter how often he pressed the importance of sleep on them, they never seemed to be getting enough. At first he was frustrated they didn’t seem to be taking his advice seriously, until Mama Murphy commented one day that she’d seen them pacing in through Sanctuary, looking ready to drop at any moment. No one was that exhausted by choice.

He consulted Sturges about possible remedies for insomnia to no avail as he watched their dark circles get darker and the bags under their eyes weigh down their poster until they were walking slowly, feet shuffling and shoulders pushed forward. They did their best to maintain professionalism, however at some point it became all too much.

There was an attack on Sanctuary by raiders chasing after the resources that finally became plentiful enough to support the settlers. The alarm blaring alerted everyone to be aware of their surroundings and fight for their little town shortly after Preston sighted them. Sole had rushed out of their house, nearly tripping over their own feet, gun in hand and eyes lit up in fury despite their exhaustion.

It was no secret they were fiercely protective of the settlement they’d helped put together and the people it housed. They fought hard beside Preston, however it seemed the lack of sleep was finally getting to them. As the raiders began dwindling in numbers, Preston called out to Sole to check if they needed backup. They struggled to respond, knees buckling slightly.

With a shout to Sturges, he caught them and hauled them into a far safer location, putting distance between them and the front lines. Gunfire sounded out, a tad muffled by the distance and the walls of their house, and he dropped them on their couch as gently as he could. They would have to deal with the circumstances until the fight was over.

As soon as Preston returned to the front of Sanctuary, it seemed the fighting finally stopped. The wounded were carted back to the clinic that, thankfully, had just been set up properly, and Sturges led those still not tired to repairing their defensive wall. Preston, sporting a slight sprain to his wrist and multiple scrapes from bullets that just barely missed, returned to Sole’s side to make sure they were okay.

If he didn’t know better he would’ve assumed they were dead, considering the way they were sprawled limply across their couch, unmoved since he unceremoniously dumped them their. He supposed, with a sigh, that they had to give out sometime, and the world simply had the most unfortunate timing. Unsurprising, considering where they lived.

He bandaged and braced his wrist himself as he sat in a nearby chair, watching over them for a moment as he gathered himself. Considering they were out of commission for the time being, he would have to take over leading everyone in recollecting themself after the fight. For the moment, though, he would breathe in time with their resting body, and gather his thoughts. On the list of things to do, after repairing Sanctuary and its people, was finding some way to help Sole’s insomnia.

X6-88:

X6 noticed the moment Sole stopped sleeping; that was technically part of his job. He didn’t predict that he wouldn’t be able to simply tell them to take a break and sleep, though. Once they explained to him that it was more complicated than that and they physically couldn’t get their body to rest, he reported to the Institute scientists.

Perhaps he was exaggerating a bit, out of concern, no, responsibility to the person he was in charge of, but he recommended they consider giving Sole mandatory time off and researching something to help them with their insomnia. Alarmed by X6’s information, the Institute did exactly that. Sure, Sole wasn’t that happy with him for forcing them to take time off, but it was for their own well being. He refused to let it get to the point that he would let them get hurt during something important because they simply couldn’t stay awake any longer.

[callistoandbeans]

FallenAU : Memory

WARNING: FIRE, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL PAIN

The smell of peaches was present in the air, filling my nose with their sweetness.The sun’s warmth dancing upon my fur. A sigh escaped my lips. Of course it was this again, My mind never failed to bring me here once more. I really didn’t want to open my eyes, not again. 

A paw was wrapped around mine. His paw. His soft and loving paw that held my hand as if it was made of gold. My heart leaped in my chest in old excitement. He was leading me down the same old worn path once again, through the peach covered trees. I couldn’t fight or let go of his hand even if I wanted to. I had no choice but to go along with it. 

My lips moved without my permission asking that same stupid question in that giggly tone. “ Hehe- Mango, where are you taking me?”

A deep chuckle responded to my silly nickname for him.” you'll soon find out winter plum.”

Ten steps, nine steps, eight steps. I had memorized how long it took us to reach the spot. Seven, six, five. Please stop. Four, three, two. Don’t make me go through this again. One. Please-

We stopped and I felt his paw gently touch my chin, lifting my head towards him. Don’t, just let me keep my eyes closed. I don’t want to see him again. 

“ You can open your eyes now Dongmei.” 

Against my wishes my eyes opened. My heart sank as he stood before me, his fur a white as freshly fallen snow and his six ears perked up in excitement. Yellow eyes stared into mine almost sparkling in the sunlight. A smirk showed on his face, that silly, loving smile. Why did he have to be smiling? I turned my head looking at my surroundings. We stood upon a cliff looking over the land and in front of us was the tree. The tree that he had made for me and me alone. It’s green and purple leaves seemed to be made of stained glass, sending down rays of color as the light hit them.  The fruit of the tree beared was a mix of plum and mango. Honestly it seemed silly, who in the world would do this, but he did it. He did it just for me. 

No, just please stop. My mind cried out as I knew what was going to happen next. 

“ Macaque.. I - It’s so beautiful.” my paw squeezed his, turning to look at him. A smile across my face.

“ I made it for you..” 

“ I- Macaque, Thank you.” 

He reached into his pocket,” That's not the only reason I took you out here Dongmei.”

A confused noise escaped my throat and soon became a surprised squeak as he pulled out a bracelet. A while ago he had joked about being jewels ang wine to my father to ask for my hand. I had laughed and told him the only way he was getting my hand was to bring me a bracelet with purple stones and one black stone that was hollowed out and held the water from the waterfall where we had our first date. He had done just that. 

I stared at the bracelet then looked up at macaque, a look of worry on his face. Tears filled my eyes. “ I- uh-” he stuttered.” so-”

Leaping forward, I wrapped my arms around his neck. My weight nearly knocking him over. “ YES- you silly monkey! Yes!” he wrapped his limbs around me letting out a cheer of joy as he spun us around. He sat me down, looking into my eyes and….

Fire. It was everywhere in seconds, It was eating away at my body. I screamed in horror and the agony as my fur and skin was burned away. My voice cords felt like they were tearing away as I cried out for Macaque, for help. I fell to my knees, my body giving out on me and allowed my mind to fall into sweet merciful darkness. It didn’t last long. Burnt flesh was the first thing to greet me as I awoke, the next thing was the aching pain that wrapped my body like a blanket. Opening my eyes was a slow process as moving anything just stung. Laying in front of me was something I couldn’t make out through my blurry vision. Blinking a couple of times help clear my sight but only so much. 

My heart broke as I realized what laid in front of me.“... Ma.. Mac..” My voice cracked and low. The once white monkey was now black, his fur turned by the flames. He was unharmed and stood at the edge of the cliff. His breathing was heavy and fast as he turned facing me, but not looking at me. His eyes held nothing but rage and a hate I have never seen in my life from him. It terrified me but not as much as what he did next. He walked passed me, down the hill. Wait- where was he going. 

“ Mac.. Ma..” I tempted to yell, to scream for him. Didn’t he know I was alive? Why was he leaving me? Why was I still alive? Everything hurts- Please someone help- I don’t want to be alone!

Gasping for air, I shot up into a sitting position. Cold sweat clinged to my body as I steady my breathing and reminded myself I was fine and in my room. Sighing, I laid back onto my soft pillows, moving my fingers through my white hair. It’s been awhile since I had that dream.. Well, memory. Sometimes I guess my mind just loves to fuck with me. Glancing at my desk, my clock read 3:45am in the morning.closing my eyes and…

The smell of peaches was present in the air, filling my nose with their sweetness….

[ladyfiresfanfiction]

Flying the Nest; One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest Fic- Chapter Two.

Sorry I am late, guys and girls! I completely forgot that Sunday had been Easter, so it was a busy day with family. This is a bit longer than chapter one and has a bit more of a backstory on Janie. I’m also trying something new to include the reader in my story, too! Let me know what you think of this idea and the second chapter. I’ll be staring the next chapter tomorrow! Enjoy :)

I don't remember speaking this much since I received the call that Charles Bogney had been found in his family's guest room, hanging from his belt behind the closet door. His mother found him, a bottle of Percodan underneath him, what little was left strewn below his feet on the wood flooring, an empty bottle of 40-ounce Belgian imported beer shattered on the ground from when he dropped it as he lost consciousness and passed away, alone and in misery. Our mutual friend, another toxic ex-boyfriend of mine whose name was Bryan Harris, had to be the one to call me. I had been trying to get into contact with Charles for the last few weeks of his short life. I felt something was wrong. Deep inside I knew if I didn't get a hold of Charley, he would die prematurely. Unfortunately, my gut feeling and seemingly spot on premonition had come to fruition. The first few weeks after Charles had died, I blacked it out. I remember feeling as if the world stopped and froze as Bryan had stammered the news of Charles's death. My heart skipped a few beats and my vision started to become blurry. I dropped to my knees, the phone on the ground as I let out guttural cries of pain that escaped my lips and waves of tears burned my eyes like acid. I cried inconsolably for the first 96 hours of Charles leaving the planet. I couldn't make the trip to his native state of California for his funeral, and I refused calls and visitors for much of the first month of his passing. My only nutrition became opium, cocaine, amphetamines, and alcohol. My family treated me as if I was a lepper, never understanding I had lost the great love of my life, despite the toxic and harrowing past we shared.

 Mac listened intently as he showed me around the grounds. The outside, where the patients (which we coined them the lovable nuts) could come out for fresh air and sunshine for an allotted amount of time per day was fenced in, but it was a spacious and breathtaking piece of land. Large trees that covered most of the land, little trails for patients to walk with supervising orderlies or nurses, tables for patients and the staff alike to enjoy a little solitude during the day. It even had a fairly big basketball court and exercise areas near the shockingly high chainlink fence, which was adorned with razor wire to dismay any patient who thought of running away from the hospital. Overall, it looked like paradise for someone who enjoyed being a prisoner. Mac talked of hearing about the patients going on some field trip, however, it would be just for the boys. The girls had had their own trip last week. As we stopped at the entrance of the second-floor corridor in front of a massive pair of white double doors, Mac turned to me and looked broken. He cleared his throat, forcing me to pay attention and face him.

 "I'll never forgive myself for leaving you with Harry and Ethel. You probably wouldn't be as bad off if I just would have taken you with me. You were just a little girl, though. And I was an irresponsible and young angsty teenager. I thought maybe they would have taken better care of you than they did me. I'm so sorry Jane. I have done horrible things but nothing has given me more pride and made me want to be a better man than having you as my kid sister. You'll never have to be alone again." Mac spoke in a low yet sincere voice.

 "It wasn't your job to parent me. You were eighteen when you struck out on your own, and I was only nine. They were so awful to you. You had to get out before they drove you certifiable. Charles brought me here for a reason. I feel it. I'm just glad to have my big brother back. We're going to make this place ours, Mackie. Then when we get out, we can start lives worth living." I said, patting his shoulder.

 "If you need me, even if it's at night, I'll come find you. There are phones in here, all you have to do is call and ask for me. I'll be here in a jiffy. I'll see you during our counseling session with Ratched and the crew tomorrow. Get some rest, Baby Jane."

 As soon as I walked in, I was brought to intake. My medical history was repeated, I was weighed, my temperature taken, asked a slew of questions, and then I was given an ugly patient garb to wear. As I was taken to the room I would be sleeping in, I saw that in each room there was a telephone with a pamphlet that had numbers to the nurse's station as well as the number for Spivey's office and the number for the nurse's station on the men's floor. Each room on the ladie's floor had three beds for three patients per room, a chair and desk, and a nice comfy-looking Cloth chair with a desk on one side and in the far right corner a bookcase filled with books to read. I would have been far more comfortale to be in a solitary room, or shared a room with my brother and his roommates, but it was against the hospital's policy for men and women to be roommates. I sighed, taking in a breath of courage, and went straight to bed, avoiding the two people I would be bunking with until I had the energy to introduce myself. In fullfledged withdrawal from opiates and alcohol I was  writhing in pain already after only 14 hours without a hit and a drink and I was so sleep deprived. I felt dead on my feet. I threw my haggard body on my bed and soon enough, sleep overpowered me.

 The comfort of unconsciousness would not last for long, though.

 The Ladies ward had come alive with an ear piercing scream in the dead of night. It was only a quarter past one a.m. when animalistic cries and screams of "Charley! Please! No!" had caused an overnight nurse, the security guard, and an on call doctor, and every patient on the ward to jolt awake in sheer terror. After several unsuccessful attempts at shaking my writhing body awake, a slight slap to my cheeks jostled me and my eyes widened as I jolted upright in bed, taking in gulp fulls of oxygen as if I had been strangled. I shrink back as I see a roommate of mine looking worried and sitting gingerly on the edge of my bed.

 "Are you okay?" You ask.

"I-I-I'm fine. I-I'm so-sorry. I... I have night terrors.." I stammered, trying to explain my problem.

"I have them, too. Don't be sorry. My name is (y/n), but everybody calls me (y/n/n), what is your name?" You asked.

"It's ni-ice to meet you, (y/n). My name is Janie McMurphy."

 Before we could get to know each other further, three staff members burst into the room with a mix of alarm and annoyance etched into their faces. Turkle, the nighttime guard of the hospital joined a nighttime nurse  whose name I had already forgotten, along with Spivey's nighttime replacement, Doctor Stuart. Another body scrambled in not too long after, a flustered and scared Mac. I buried my reddening face in my hands as four voices bombarded me with questions I was too tired and ultimately too annoyed to deal with.

 "Sweetheart, what happened?" Turkle asked. "You have a set of lungs on you, don'tcha?"

"Do I need to call Doctor Spivey for you, Miss McMurphy?" Doctor Stuart asked.

"I'm going to get you a diazepam pill, Miss McMurphy. It's all okay, I promise. Mister McMurphy, we'll give you five minutes then you need to go back to your own bed on the bottom floor." The nurse said, winking at Mac.

 "She had a night terror, Mister Turkle," (y/n) began. "It's okay, I got her up. Could I have one too, Nurse Katt? I can't fall asleep tonight." they asked.

"Sure. I'll be right back. Doctor Stuart will be sure to write this occurrence in a note for Nurse Ratched and Doctor Spivey and you can see them both tomorrow morning. Five minutes, Mac." Nurse Katt added as she, Turkle, and Stuart left the room.

 (Y/N) shyly smiled at Mac when they made their way back to their bed, turning on their side to face the wall to give the two of us some form of privacy. I was hugging my knees to my chest in the bed, avoiding Mac's eyes. He let out an audible sigh and sat beside me, placing a comforting arm around my shoulders. I trembled, trying to keep my eyes from overflowing with tears and took in a shaky breath, resting my head on my brother’s shoulder. We didn't talk; we sat in silence until I faced him.

 "I'm sorry you came up here, Mac, but I'm fine." I said.

“The nurse called me as soon as she heard your first scream. I came as soon as I could. Why are you sorry?” He asked softly.

“I’m sorry for a lot of things, but mostly for waking you up, brother. I just can’t control these fucking night terrors.” I replied, scrunching my eyes shut as more tears threatened to brim over.

"How long have these damn things been happening?" He asked, looking down at me.

"For almost two years... Since Charles killed himself." I replied, quietly.

"Meet me in my room around seven o'clock, ok? We'll have breakfast together and head to therapy together. It's going to be okay, Jane. Thank you, (Y/N), for helping my sister, sweetheart. I appreciate it." Mac smiled as he stood up and ventured back to his own floor.

 The next morning I awoke before my two roommates, one being (Y/N) who stayed up with me until the diazepam knocked us into another universe, and another patient around our age named Elise who had slept through the night terror debacle.  (Y/N) said that Elise was used to their night terrors and usually saved a few barbiturates so nothing would disturb her at night.

I made my way to the first floor, skulking into the first room on the right, which Mac said would be the room he shared with “one giant motherfucker named Chief, but he’s harmless so don’t be scared.” I felt uncomfortable in my new uniform, or prisoner’s gear as I called it. As I looked around and made my way through the large corridor and found Mac laughing with a rather large Native man, I nearly ran right into someone.

“Oh! God, I am s-“ I began, finally taking in who I nearly ran right through.

“I-I-Its n-no problem, Muh-muh-Miss.” A very red Billy Bibbit replied.

“No, really, Billy, I am very sorry. I was looking for my brother and just wasn’t watching where I was going.” I smiled, looking away shyly.

“M-M-Mac  is-is-is ri-ri-ri-right in there, Miss.” He smiled, pointing to the door behind me.

“Call me Janie.” I said, finally looking at him and finding myself entranced by his big blue eyes.

“Okay… J-Ja-Ja-Jaaanie.” He smiled back, forcing my name out through stutters that flustered him.

“Did you, uh, wanna have breakfast with Mac and me?” I asked.

“O-Oh, I’d like to, b-b-b-b-but  I have my morn-ning appointment wi-ith Doctor Sp-Spivey now. Raincheck?” He asked, hopefully.

“Of course. I’ll see you around, Billy.” I smiled, watching as he walked away.

“My dear, dear sister,” Mac began, smirking devilishly as he stood in the doorway of his room.

“I do believe you would eat that boy alive if you two became an item. Come on in, there’s somebody I want you to meet.”

 I walked into Mac’s small room and saw the man he was speaking with earlier, getting his shirt on. He nodded at me and I waved. I looked around their room and was surprised at how gloomy and small it was. The ladies had larger rooms with picture windows and furniture. However, the men’s room only held two beds and a kind of chain fence separating rooms with the other men in the ward. Their one large window in the room was locked down tight and had bars on it so the patients had no way of escaping, even if they managed to open their window. I watched Mac talk quietly with the man he called Chief, leaving me standing there awkwardly. Over an intercom it was announced that it was time for medication and all patients needed to walk single-file to the medication window. I walked out with Mac and Chief and found that the women in the hospital were standing in a line next to the men, and I stood with Elise and (Y/N).  

“Remember, Janie, breakfast after this. We’ll go to the cafeteria; there’s a small window table we can eat at.” Mac whispered, and I nodded.

Billy and I stood in line side-by-side, and every time I looked over, I caught him staring at me, which made him turn scarlet. I felt self-conscious, wondering if I looked too fat in this uniform, or if my hair was a rat’s nest, or if there was something wrong with me. Mac was utterly amused and mouthed “Billy has a crush on you” to me, but I rolled my eyes and shook my head. He was just being nice, or so I thought.                                                                                   

The doctor put me on diazepam at night in hopes of ending my night terrors, and in the day time had me on a cocktail of medication. Something for my debilitating anxiety, two different medications that were supposed to work together for depression, something for my PTSD and flashbacks, and a mood stabilizer. Within ten minutes I was at the table with Mac, and he was telling me how he ended up here, a girl had lied about her age and her parents found them having sex. She lied that he raped her and her parents pressed charges and that while he was innocent, he figured he would never beat the case so he came here as a last ditch effort  to avoid spending a third of his life in prison. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but I nodded. I believed my brother and I loved him. He had a knack for choosing the wrong girls as I had a knack for choosing the wrong guys.

Several of his new friends sat with us; Taber, who I noticed liked to scream a lot, a pompous and annoyingly whiny man named Harding, a smart and friendly older man named Cheswick, and a little guy who didn’t talk much but was always smiling, whose name was Martini. Chief was minding his own business and standing in the far left corner of the cafeteria, near the exit and watching everyone. He liked to make the staff think he was deaf, mute, and dumb. Once Mac found out that in fact, Chief could not only talk and hear but he was as sharp as a tack, he laughed heartily and gave the Native man a high five, impressed with his trickery and his way of staying sane in this insane place.

“Hey, Billy boy! Can ya show my sister the good Doc’s office? She kinda forgot where it was and I’m still eating this slop here. I’d owe ya one.” He said, winking at me.

Billy had stopped by the table as he had finished his meeting with the doctor to let me know Doctor Spivey was looking for me. He tried to avoid my gaze but caught several glimpses of my blue-green eyes before bashfully turning his head away. I nodded and stood up as Mac grabbed my wrist.

“U-u-Uh, su-sure, M-M-Mac. Come on, Ja-Ja-Janie.” Billy replied, holding out his hand to me.

“Thanks, Billy.” I muttered, glaring at Mac who feigned innocence.

 We didn’t speak much on the way to the Doctor’s office. I felt lost in a sea of fog since this was my first day taking the new medication, and Billy seemed pensive along with being super nervous. As we made it to the office, we stood outside there, not speaking nor looking at each other right away.

“Will you be at th-th-the therapy session today, Janie?” He asked, looking at me this time.

“I sure will. Ratched knows what happened last night and I guess wants me to talk about it today.” I replied, feeling nauseous at the thought.

“Don-don-don’t worry. She ca-can be mean, b-b-b-but deep down she’s a n-n-n-nice lady. She’s friends w-with my m-m-mother, so I’ve known her mo-most of my l-l-life. I’ll be there for y-y-you if things get hard. I promise.” He explained.

This time I looked at him. Really looking and overcome with a feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time; safety. I barely knew this cute boy but he, along with my brother, were ready to protect me and get involved in my messy life. I wanted to cry and I wanted to hug Billy, but I didn’t know how he would take that just yet. I smiled and thanked him, finally letting go of his hand before watching him walk away. He had a sweet smile plastered on his lips, his eyes lit up as we said our goodbyes. His soft brown curls bouncing as he jogged back to the cafeteria. I slid down the wall and sat there, trying to gain my composure before recounting what I dealt with last night. The door opened after five minutes and I looked up to see the doctor himself extend a hand and help me to my feet.

“Ah, there you are, Miss McMurphy. Let’s get to the bottom of these night terrors, shall we?”

[tracelessrp]

Traceless Event: July 10, 2021 - A Mile in Your Shoes

The story:

For the most part, the last few months or so in Traceless had been calm. A little too calm, if you asked some of the residents. The village had always been a safe haven, but with so many different supernatural beings living in one place, a little chaos breaking out now and then was pretty much par for the course. To those who were paying attention, the fact that nothing odd had happened recently - not even during the last full moon - made the place feel quiet... Perhaps too quiet. They were overdue for some chaos.

Of course, not even the village’s most paranoid residents could have predicted just what form that chaos would manifest in next - or rather, what forms. But as the residents awoke on Saturday, July 10th, most realized something was very wrong. Not only had everyone woken up someplace different from where they’d fallen asleep. But physically, most noticed that something was... off. While it took some people longer than others, everyone realized pretty quickly: they had woken up in someone else’s body.

The details:

That’s right folks, it looks like we’re in for a “good” “old-fashioned” body swap! But it’s not just limited to permanent residents of Traceless - anyone who happened to be in town at the time the swap went into effect was impacted. Thanks to all who volunteered characters for weird things! The swaps are as follows:

Luca <-> Millie Viv <-> Max Elaine <-> Steffi Ivy <-> Dominic Willow <-> Kass Mac <-> Sapphire Katerina <-> Oskar Isobel <-> Lark Atticus <-> Ulani Allie <-> Mike HJ <-> Ryan Yona <-> Wyatt Fritz <-> Briar Ayla <-> David Adrian <-> Jane Sofia <-> Chloe Paul (NPC) <-> Sam (NPC)   Carla (NPC) <-> Franz (NPC) Tiffany (NPC) <-> Marnie (NPC) Al (NPC) <-> Griselda (NPC) Mort (NPC) <-> Andy (NPC) Ella (NPC) <-> Laurel (NPC)

Unaffected (out of town at the time the swap went into effect): Daniel, Wesley, Sasha, Ethan (NPC), Mags (NPC)  

If you don’t see your character on this list but would like for them to take part, let us know. In a similar vein if you need to opt out for whatever reason, please check in with us ASAP, and we can accommodate accordingly! For the sake of the plot, all we’ll need is for you to assume that if your character was swapped, they were in town at the moment the swap took-- and any characters who were not impacted were out of town.

As I’m sure some of you have noticed, the date the swap goes into effect is actually in the future! We’ve posted information about it early so that you have the chance to plot with the person who plays the character whose body yours will be occupying. Please make sure you use this time to figure out where your character will be when the swap happens, share gif resources, plot with whoever you like, and brainstorm how your character(s) will react. Will they panic? Try to go about their lives as normal? Try to figure out what caused the swap or how to reverse it? All are valid options!

The event will formally begin on July 10th, but feel free to start posting event content on the dash as early as tomorrow (July 9th) if you and the person playing the muse who yours has swapped with are in a good place in terms of plotting! That brings us to formatting - as long as your character is swapped, please make sure you use the faceclaim of the character they swapped with. Additionally, please tag all posts relating to this event as tracelessevent1. Feel free to continue old threads as well - but please do let us know in the tags so that we can differentiate between event and non-event threads (this will be especially important for characters who were not swapped).

While your character is swapped, major plots need to be run by both the mods and the player whose character yours is swapped with.

The powers stay with the body. Control of these powers and knowledge of how to use them may not stay with the body.

Finally, if your character(s) make attempts to get to the bottom of what’s going on, please send any posts in which they’re doing said digging over to the mods. We’ll let you know if they’ve stumbled upon a clue, or even if they’ve managed to successfully undo the swap.

Now that you have read everything above, please like this post so we know you’re ready to go! Let us know if you have any questions, and have fun!

[girl-with-cat-eyes]

Sweeter Than Ice Cream

Summary: Virgil is feeling good about his body for once. Leave it to assholes to come along and ruin the feeling. Luckily his boyfriend is there to cheer him up.

Contains Thvi, mentioned Demus, mentioned Logicality, mentioned Rosleepmile, chubby trans Virgil, and mentions of bullying.

A/N: Alright the birthday fic is going up a bit late but who cares cause it's adorable. Really I just wanted something ridiculously sweet and comforting so here we are. And if people like it I can totally write more for this verse cause I already have tons of ideas.

~

"Hello handsome."

Virgil was getting his text books out of his locker when he felt a familiar pair of arms slide around his waist, a hand stopping to squeeze his round bottom before continuing on it's way. He smiled and turned around to greet their owner, giving his boyfriend a smile before he spoke. 

"Good morning to you too, beautiful." He wrapped his arms around Thomas' neck and him a kiss. "Glad you're here today, I was worried about you yesterday." 

Thomas gave an apologetic smile and pecked his nose before speaking. "I'm sorry Virge. I tried to text you, but I had a dentist's appointment yesterday." He flashed his freshly cleaned teeth in an exaggerated grin. "How are you today?" 

"Well let's see:", Virgil began to list off.", today is a friday, dad offered to make my lunch today which meant I got an extra half hour of sleep, I have leftover mac and cheese for lunch, today is a Friday, I'm having a sleepover with my amazing boyfriend tonight, and said boyfriend is holding me right now. So I'd say it's about as good as it gets. Not to mention I'm feeling more body confident than I have in months. How about you?"

Thomas smiled. "As perfect as possible. Especially now that I have you in my arms." He squeezed Virgil's sides gently. "And I'm glad you're feeling confident right now. You deserve to.", Thomas smiled at his boyfriend and took note of his clothing choice for today., "And you look great in what you're wearing, sweetheart. I mean you always look great, but you look adorable right now. I don't think I've seen you in something pastel since you got this."

Virgil blushed at the mention of his unusual outfit choice. While normally he wore baggy and dark clothes, not only to match his emo personality but to help deal with his insecurities about his weight and dysphoria, but today he'd felt confident and comfortable in his body and went with a different choice. He wore light purple overall shorts and a cute black top underneath along with knee high socks and purple chuck taylors. He'd finished off the look with a black heart choker and his usual makeup. He'd been excited to see Thomas' and his friends' reactions to him something so different from his usual style. 

"I liked how it looked on me and I wanted to wear it. Besides I thought it would be the perfect outfit for our sleepover tonight."  Virgil reluctantly pulled away from the hug to finish grabbing his textbooks, "I'm glad you like it. I was hoping you would." 

He felt arms wrap around him again and warm breath tickle his neck as Thomas leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "Well I like you in anything. Or nothing. Especially in nothing at all." He pressed a kiss behind Virgil's ear. 

Virgil held back a groan before shutting his locker and turning around. "You can't just say that when we have 10 minutes til class." 

"Fine. I'll tell you tonight while your parents are out. For now I'll ask you about the homework from yesterday." The pair made their way down the hallway to their first class. 

~

If Thomas had to pick a favorite part of school days it would have to be lunch. Not only because it served as a break between classes or because it was when he could finally eat, but because he shared a lunch period with his boyfriend. He got a solid half hour everyday to just sit with Virgil and spend time together. It was nice. 

Of course it would be nice if he hadn't drank an entire water bottle during his last period and was now rushing to the bathroom. He'd gotten lucky that the one closest to the cafeteria was empty and he didn't have to search for one. 

At least, he thought it was empty. Until he heard a sob coming from one of the stalls behind while he washed his hands. Thomad froze at the sound. He really should be meeting Virgil for lunch. But what if someone was hurt? What if they needed help? Fuck it, he thought, it couldn't hurt to ask if they're ok. 

"Hey?" He called. "Are you ok? Do you need me to get the nurse or something? It's my lunch period so I have the time." 

He heard a gasp and some movement before a familiar voice spoke. "Thomas?" 

Virgil. Shit. What could have happened in the time that they had been apart? Thomas rushed over to the stall and opened it to see his boyfriend curled up in a corner looking at him. His hurt beat painfully when he saw his black eye and bloody nose that Virgil was pressing toilet paper to. He felt a hot rush of anger when he saw that half of his face appeared to be covered in what looked like cake. 

Thomas grimaced and got up to wet some paper towels before setting to work with cleaning Virgil's face. Afterwards he pressed some more toilet paper to his bloody nose and sighed. "What happened?" 

Virgil kept his eyes down. "The usual shit. I went to use the bathroom and was ambushed. They said that they felt uncomfortable with me using the same bathrooms as them. That I'd probably try to force them to be gay. That freaks like me shouldn't be allowed in the school period. After that they beat the shit out of me." Virgil gestured to his bruised face. "And then they…. They brought a piece of cake with them. Said a whale like me would probably love it. And they shoved it in my face."

Thomas felt molten hot anger wash through him but pushed it aside for now. Virgil needed him. He stood up and pulled his boyfriend up with him. "Come on, Stormcloud.

"Where are we going?"

"Well first we're going to stop by Holy Cow's and get sundaes because you deserve something as sweet as you are. Then we're going to go to your place and call your dads to tell them what happened. And then we can cuddle and begin our sleepover early." 

Virgil raised an eyebrow at him. "And what about class? You've already missed yesterday." 

Thomas shrugged and held Virgil's hand as they left the bathroom. "I'll tell your uncle what happened and ask him to get our homework for us." Thomas knew that Virgil's uncle, the school drama teacher, Roman would be fine with it. He'd probably claim that what happened to his nephew was a huge offense and demand to know who did it. 

They signed themselves out for the day and got into Thomas' car. He made sure to send a text to Roman explaining what happened and asking him to get their homework for them. He received an almost immediate response saying of course and that he would be by after school with it and then they could tell him who it was. 

First stop was ice cream. Virgil ended up dozing in the car and Thomas didn't have the heart to wake him so he just went in by himself. Besides it wasn't like he didn't know Virgil's favorite sundae. His boyfriend was a chocolate lover from way back.

He smiled as he entered the shop. Some of his favorite memories were here. Coming here as a kid when he got a good grade, his dads taking him here on his birthday. He even went here with Virgil on their first date. He still remembered how nervous Virgil had been to eat anything around him at the time. It had taken forever to assure V that his weight was fine. It could still be a struggle, with Virgil's confidence fluctuating. But Thomas would never stop showing him how amazing and beautiful he was. 

Thomas shook off those thoughts and gave a wave to Remy, the shop's owner. Thomas looked at the menu vaguely even though him and Virgil always got the same thing. 

"Girl, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" 

Thomas shrugged and gestured out to his car. "Virgil got beat up by some assholes so I'm taking him to get ice cream as a treat." 

 Remy crossed his arms and smirked, "Mmmhmmm. So where is my favorite customer?" 

Thomas gave a pretend shocked gasp, "I've been coming here as long as Virgil has." 

"Like I said he's my favorite customer.", Remy grabbed two styrofoam bowls, "The usual for both of you?" 

Thomas snorted and nodded, "Yep. He fell asleep in the car and I didn't want to wake him. So just me today.", Remy nodded and began making Thomas' birthday cake sundae and Virgil's chocolate brownie s'more sundae. 

"Well because this is comfort ice cream I'm giving you each an extra scoop. And it's on the house." Thomas went to object but Remy cut him off, "Hun, last time you were here you tipped twenty bucks. And the time before that you tipped ten. You've got some free ice cream points saved up. Enjoy it." 

Thomas sighed and put his wallet away before smiling, "Thank you. I figured this would be a good way to cheer him up. Worst part was he was feeling confident today too. I was so excited for him." 

Remy grimaced and went to roast two marshmallows for the ice cream in question, "That's how life is sometimes. You're feeling great and it kicks you where it hurts. But you just gotta be there for him now and hope his confidence stays up. And if not, be a confidence booster.", He finished off the sundaes with some hot fudge and caramel on Virgil's and rainbow sprinkles and cake crumbles on Thomas', topping both with whipped cream. 

Thomas nodded and took the ice cream gratefully, "Thank you. I'm sure Roman will tell you and Emile all the details later tonight.", With that he went back to the car and drove to Virgil's house. 

~ 

Virgil awoke to Thomas kissing his cheek and saying that they had to get out of the car. He blinked groggily before wincing at the feeling of his bruised eye and got up slowly., "Did you message my parents?", He asked through a yawn. 

Thomas nodded and picked up the ice cream containers before answering, "Yep. Remus is working late tonight at the hospital but Janus should be home at 5 and he said he'd get take out. And he wanted to talk about what happened." 

Virgil nodded and got out his key before letting them both in. He went to go to the kitchen but was stopped by Thomas who guided him to the living room. 

"What are you doing?" 

Virgil gestured to his eye., "I'm going to get some ice and painkillers." 

Thomas nodded and got up. "I'll do that. You sit and relax.", He was handed a cold styrofoam bowl. "Here's your sundae. I got your usual." Virgil smiled and Thomas headed into the kitchen. 

Virgil stared at the sundae on his lap hesitantly. Sure, it sounded great after the day he had, but did he really need it? He was fat enough as is without it. He could still hear those asshole's jeers in the restroom, calling him a whale and laughing when he fell. 

Before he could do anything though, Thomas came back and was handing him a water bottle and some painkillers and pressing some ice to his eye. Virgil gladly took several large drinks of water and went back to looking at the ice cream nervously. 

"Hey." Virgil looked at Thomas to see him giving him a concerned look.  "Whatever those assholes said about you… None of it is true. You're amazing and beautiful and your weight is fine. You deserve some ice cream after the day you've had."

Virgil winced internally. Dammit. He hadn't meant for Thomas to know how he was feeling. But that's just how Thomas was sometimes. He could take one look at Virgil and was able to figure out exactly what was bothering him and made it his mission to make him feel better. "It's just… Sometimes I think I would get so much of the bullying if I was thinner, y'know. And maybe I deserve it, cause I could probably do more to try to lose the weight. Like I could go on another diet-" 

"Like when you ended up passing out in gym class because you were malnourished?" Thomas interrupted him. Before Virgil could say anything else Thomas was pulling him onto his lap. He tried to do his best to not put any weight on him but Thomas wasn't having it. Virgil found himself tucked snugly in his boyfriends arms. "Babe you eat healthy and are decently active. And your doctor has said you're healthy even with your weight. I know firsthand that it can be hard to love yourself, but please… Never listen to those assholes. And if you're feeling insecure come to me. I'll always be willing to reassure you." 

Virgil was blushing and Thomas kissed each of his full, red cheeks. "Now I think we have some well earned ice cream and feel good movies waiting for us." Virgil nodded and snorted as Thomas put on Hairspray. 

He leaned up to kiss his boyfriend and took a bite of ice cream, moaning at the taste. "I love you." 

Thomas laughed and kissed Virgil back before grabbing his sundae as well.  "I can't tell if you're talking to me of the ice cream but I love you too." 

Virgil smiled and hummed along to the opening number and took another bite before speaking. "Both. I love ice cream because it's delicious and I love you because you're easily one of the best things to ever happen to me."

Thomas smiled and took a bite of ice cream and kissing him. Virgil could taste frosting and bits of vanilla cupcake on his lips. By the time they pulled away they were both breathing heavily. Virgil pressed several quick kisses on Thomas' face. And smiled. "I love you. So much." 

Thomas only responded by kissing him again with just as much intensity as before. Virgil smiled when Thomas finally pulled away and whispered. "I love you. I… I was going to give this you tonight, I figured that it would be the perfect time. And it still is of course I wanted you to be happier when I did it but… Will you go steady with me?" He held out a silver ring with a purple heart shaped gem. 

Virgil looked at him with a mixture of shock and happiness. "Really?" 

Thomas rubbed the back of his neck and gave an anxious smile. "Yeah. I know it's old fashioned but I thought it would be cute. I was talking to my grandpa about it and he said that going steady was supposed to be a promise that you wanted to spend forever together even if you weren't married yet. Of course back then people got married right out of high school. But I thought that that meaning was perfect for us. I want to spend forever with you, and obviously neither of us are ready for marriage." 

Virgil smiled and nodded rapidly at his boyfriend. "Of course. I'd love to go steady with you." Thomas put the ring on his finger and kissed his hand. "It's beautiful."

Thomas smiled. "I got it down at my cousin's shop. I thought it was perfect for you. And now that I'm seeing it I'm happy to report that I was right." 

Virgil smiled and made a mental note to go see Toby this weekend and pick out an equally beautiful ring for Thomas. For now however, he had a boyfriend to snuggle and movies to watch. He pulled Thomas closer and pressed several kisses before burrowing his face in his neck. 

By the time Janus, Roman, and Remus all burst in at once, the pair were asleep, the credits to the movie rolling unnoticed.

~

Tagging:

@forever-forgotten-angel, @anxiety-ismy-name

[breakfastteatime]

Mini Mac Fic Part 2!

Ta da! A continuation of this Jack’s got a sick Mac on his hands, and he’s gonna get him home and safely tucked up.

It was a quiet drive from Phoenix back to Mac’s place. Jack really had to bite his tongue to keep from asking Mac why he didn't just take a sick day. For a guy who was so smart, he could be incredibly stupid about his personal wellbeing. 

Besides, Mac was asleep in the passenger seat, making it hard for him to answer anything. And Jack didn't want to disturb him until they got to his place. For him to be sleeping so much and so heavily during the day meant he really had to be sick. Mac slept light unless he’d gone beyond all his limits. And here he was, sleeping hard, his breathing a little ragged at the edges. He’d slumped against the door, head pressed to the glass like he wanted to cool off.

“Dammit, kid,” Jack muttered. “Can’t you make this easy just one time?” 

Matty was right; Mac would be in trouble when he was well enough. He needed to learn to manage himself better. Or at all, really. Because one day, his cavalier attitude towards himself would really bite him in the ass. Just because they weren't on a mission and were out of rotation for a few weeks unless something major came in, didn't mean he could ignore his health. 

“This would all be a lot easier if you were awake to hear me tell it to you straight,” Jack said. 

Mac didn’t even stir. 

Bozer always said Mac wasn’t one to take sick days ‘unless he’s vomiting, and even then, it’s fifty-fifty.’ Bozer then promised to share the story of how Mac had proceeded to projectile vomit in a high school chemistry class because he ignored a stomach-ache until it was too late. 

There was resilience and then there was Mac. Jack hadn’t bothered asking him why he was so weird about taking time off. He knew why. Mac admitting to weakness, to vulnerability? It didn’t happen.  

It was time for Mac to unlearn some of his bad habits. 

By the time they got back to Mac's place, he was looking more flushed than before. Jack could hear a distinct crackle in his breathing, too. Probably still a cold, but maybe one nastier than average. 

Killing the engine, Jack reached over, gently shaking Mac awake. “Home sweet home, bud. Let’s get you inside.” 

"Mmmm," Mac mumbled, hoarse voice thick with congestion. “I’m up.” 

His eyes hadn't actually opened.  

"Uh-huh," Jack said, smiling fondly. "Wanna try that again?" 

Mac's answer was clearly no because he was already asleep again. And snoring. 

"I will carry your ass if I have to," Jack said, reaching over to check for fever. Yup, he had one. A nasty one. “Mac!” 

Mac grunted. 

"Fine. Stay right there." 

Jack had a plan. He knew where Mac (okay, Bozer) kept the thermometer… Assuming Mac hadn’t repurposed it for anything. If Mac's temperature was anywhere close to 103F, they were going straight to the nearest ER, no passing go, no collecting $200. Jack wasn't letting Mac's ridiculous stubbornness melt his brain. 

Thirty seconds later, Jack placed the digital thermometer in Mac's ear. He flinched, hand reaching up to slap at Jack's hand. "Stop," Mac said, voice coarse. "It's a cold or sinusitis or something. I’ll sleep it off.” He cleared his throat, unsuccessfully. When he spoke again, he still sounded like he’d gargled with sand. “You don't need to worry so much." 

"No, you need to take this more seriously." Jack said. "You don't need it getting any worse." 

"S'nothing," Mac mumbled, blinking hard, trying to wake himself up.  

The thermometer beeped its reading before Jack could argue back. 102.5F. Not quite 103F. Mac got a stay of professional medical attention. 

Jack tucked the thermometer into a pocket. "Bed. Water. Tylenol. In that order." 

“Fine.” Mac pulled himself out of the car. He slumped against the car, sweat coating his face as he panted for breath and went several shades too pale.  

Jack grabbed him before his legs gave out again, guiding him down to the ground. "Dizzy?" 

"Yeah," Mac said, squeezing his eyes shut. “Not good.” 

“You gonna barf?” Jack asked, wondering how he could put safe distance between himself and whatever might come out of Mac. 

Mac let out a shaky breath. “Dunno.” He peeked through his bangs. "Sorry, Jack." 

Jack managed a smile. "Yeah, kid, I know you are. But we have talked about this. You gotta look after yourself. A sick day now and then ain't the end of the world." 

Mac mumbled something in response, but it was too soft and garbled for Jack to make sense of. He also hadn’t regained any color aside from the patches of bright red on his cheeks. 

“Deep breaths,” Jack said. Maybe it wasn’t too late to get to a doctor. “You need me to carry you?” 

“No!” Mac cried out. “Just gimmie a minute.” 

“World spinning?” Jack asked. 

“S’just a cold,” Mac said. “I’m not aching or anything.” 

“Whatever it is, we need you inside, so let’s do this slowly. I’m gonna get you to your feet and we’re gonna walk inside.” 

Mac held out a hand. Jack pulled him upright, holding both elbows until Mac was steady. Mac pulled away, his glassy eyes squinting against the sunlight. So, Jack could add a headache to Mac’s symptoms. He hovered close to Mac's side as they went inside. Mac made a beeline for the couch. 

"Not bed?" Jack asked. 

"Not that sick," Mac said. He sat down. Then he slumped onto his side, awkwardly kicking off his shoes. He groaned in relief. "Thanks for bringing me home. I'll get some rest now.” He shivered, closing his eyes. “Tell Matty I'm sorry. I’ll see you tomorrow."  

Jack threw out his hands and turned in a circle. “Give me strength,” Jack hissed through his teeth. He couldn’t shout. Mac was sick. Calm. Jack needed to be calm. Very calm. Did Mac seriously think he was going to be left alone? Jack took a deep breath. He held it in for three then slowly released it. Feeling slightly less explosive (because when would Mac learn he wasn’t alone?), Jack headed to the kitchen, grabbed an icepack from the freezer, wrapping in a dishtowel. Next, he poured out a tall glass of water. Then he rummaged through Mac and Bozer's medicine collection, pulling out the Tylenol. Taking everything over to Mac, Jack nudged him awake and made sure he took a dose. Mac did what he was poked to, flopped back, accepted the icepack for his head, and fell asleep in seconds. 

Jack fetched a thin green blanket and placed it over Mac. He glanced at his phone. Matty wanted to know when they were settled. Jack typed fast. One genius dosed and tucked up. He sent a photo too. 

Cute, Matty texted back. Keep an eye on him. 

“You know I got him.” Jack made a quick run to his car to grab his bag and his headphones. Going back into the house, Jack tuned into some classic hair metal, and settled himself into the recliner opposite Mac. He was still Mac’s Overwatch. Way too many dangerous people knew where Mac lived.  

Another conversation Jack needed to have with him. But maybe not right now… 

…Not when Matty had jammed a ton of paperwork into his bag. So you don't spend too much time worrying, she'd told him as he'd shepherded Mac to the car. 

She knew Jack too well. 

The hours ticked by. Jack worked hard, going over a number of training protocols for Phoenix’s tac teams. He looked up every so often, making sure Mac slept peacefully. Sure, his right pant leg rode up to his knee, one of his socks was half off, the blanket only covered one half of him, the icepack had melted, and he had his belly hanging out, but Mac was fast asleep and didn’t appear to be having any nightmares. 

Mac awoke late in the afternoon. He blinked hard, staring at the blanket. “Shit!” He tossed the blanket away, breathing hard.  

Jack looked up from the latest proposal. He saw Mac staring into the distance, not really seeing what was in front of him. "The blanket do something to offend you?" 

"Weird dream," Mac said. He somehow sounded raspier than before. Maybe they needed to add laryngitis to his diagnoses. He sounded more congested too, a distinct crackle in his chest. Mac pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Hate sleeping during the day." 

Jack eyed him critically. "How weird?" 

"Couldn't touch anything green," Mac said. "Green was deadly. Except everywhere I went had green carpet so it was the weirdest game of The Floor is Lava." 

Jack took a second to process. "Why green?"  

"Arsenic," Mac said, pushing sweaty hair out his face. "They used to have a green dye that contained arsenic." He coughed, reaching for the glass of water Jack had topped up halfway through Mac’s nap. "And I had to keep stopping everyone putting on green t-shirts." 

"Only you could have a sciencey nightmare," Jack said. He scooped up the green blanket. “Pretty sure this is free of arsenic.” 

Finishing the water with a grimace, Mac slumped against the couch. "Guess it was on my mind." 

"Arsenic? Do I need to worry? Are you looking to kill someone in a really historically accurate way?" 

Mac smiled. "It's not just a murder weapon. There's probably some in your car battery. There could even be cyanide in the car’s upholstery or – " 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, how 'bout you stop talking about deadly poisons, you’re making me itchy. Actually, just stop talking. You ain't gonna have much of a voice left soon." 

"And that'd be a real bummer," Mac croaked. He winced. “Ow.” 

“Feeling rough?” Jack asked. 

“Yeah,” Mac said. He groaned. “Fine. I’m sick, okay? I admit it.”  

“See, this is why you don’t come to the office when you’re sick,” Jack said. “That way, you get better quicker.” 

“I get it,” Mac said. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone in today.” 

“So, no going to work tomorrow?” 

Mac sighed. And then coughed. And then winced. “No work tomorrow.” 

Jack punched the air. “I won!” 

Mac cocked an eyebrow. “On the other hand…” 

“Oh no, don’t you dare,” Jack said, jabbing a finger at him. “You’re staying there. I will sit on you if necessary. Matty will probably order me if I tell her you’re thinking of going into the office tomorrow.” 

“I’m joking,” Mac said. He moved himself upright, planting his hands against the cushions. “Okay.” He pushed himself to his feet, grimacing and rubbing his forehead. “Wow, this headache sucks.” 

Jack got up too. “Hey now, stay right there. I can get you anything you need.” 

Mac blinked at him. “Including a trip to the bathroom?” 

“No, nope, you take care of that,” Jack said, hands held up. “I’ll get you something to drink. Something to eat, too. And some more meds.” He backed away, heading into the kitchen. “Think you’ve got any soup tucked away somewhere? Man, who am I kidding. Of course you do. Bozer is always two steps ahead with comfort food.” 

“Hey, Jack?” Mac called after him. 

Jack opened the fridge, looking for juice. “Yeah?”  

“Thanks,” Mac said. “For… y’know… everything.” 

Jack smiled to himself. “Anytime, Mac.”

(You can find my longer fics over here on AO3)

[star-labs-intern]

Christmas Eve, Eve: A Harrisco Fic

Summary: Harry and Cisco get stuck in the mall past closing.  

Word Count: ~1,400

A/N: Merry Christmas!! I wanted to have this fic done by now, hence why it is set on Dec 23rd, but I wanted to post it anyway! Happy Harrisco Holidays everyone! :) 

Christmas Eve, Eve

Instead of last-minute Christmas Eve shopping, Cisco loved to go Christmas Eve, Eve shopping. This meant that all day on December 23rd, Cisco would be flitting around from store to store, just trying to make sure he crossed all his presents off his list.

It seemed like Cisco gave into the mad rush, but all things considered Cisco was fairly old fashioned when it came to Christmas. He didn’t want to have to do any running around on Christmas Eve, unless it was to sing carols or deliver Christmas cookies. He enjoyed spending the day wrapping gifts and listening to Christmas music.

However, once Harry and his ridiculous baseball cap disguise started joining Cisco’s Christmas routine things were a little different. They Christmas Eve, Eve shopped together now. Cisco always made sure he wouldn’t have to get anything else for Harry so that they could shop together for team flash, for Cisco’s family, for Jesse, and enjoy themselves together.

If Harry was being honest, shopping for more than two hours always gave him anxiety. After minute 120, Harry would, without fail, wander down to the massage chairs or find a furniture section in whatever store Cisco was perusing, and promptly relax.

This year was no different. Except things had been extra crazy this year and so Harry was extra tired. So tired, that when he sat down on one of the furniture displays, careful not to ruffle any decorative pillows, that he fell soundly asleep.

When Harry awoke, still comfortable in the armchair he had found to lounge in, the store looked slightly darker. “Cisco?”

“Over here, Babe.” Cisco called back, a few rows over, nose down in a stack of records, picking through.

“Hey Babe, it’s almost ten thirty.” Harry said suddenly looking at his wristwatch. “Doesn’t the mall close at like nine thirty?”

“They would have kicked us out if they were closing,” Cisco shrugged but when he stood he frowned. “When did it get so dark in here?”

Harry’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to start arguing with Cisco.

“Don’t start.” Cisco cut him off at the pass.

“Fine,” Harry stopped “Let’s go check out and get home. It’s appalling being in a retail store after 10pm.”

Cisco rolled his eyes. “You’re so dramatic.”

They stood at the counter, the overhead lights off and the doors leading out to the main mall area, shut. Harry was beginning to fume and Cisco was gearing up for the fight he knew was coming.

“Do you still think they would have kicked us out if they were closing?” Harry asked through gritted teeth.

“We just have to leave our stuff and come back first thing in the morning. Let’s go.” Cisco tried to tug open the doors leading out to the mall and they jerked back against his effort: locked.

Cisco smiled sheepishly at Harry. “Merry Christmas?”

“Oh, this is great. This is soooo great.”

“I really don’t think your sarcasm is going to get us anywhere right now.” Cisco suggested calmly. He started to look behind the counter for a spare key of any kind.

Harry grumbled in Cisco’s general direction.

.

When they had exhausted their possible means out of the department store, Harry stormed off.

“Where are you going?” Cisco called after Harry.

Harry, arms folded, stalked off away from his partner. “I’m going to be in the towel section!”

Cisco found Harry half an hour later snuggled and wrapped up in a barrage of giant, fluffy bath towels. “Hey Harry… How are you doing, hun?” Cisco asked, rubbing Harry’s back affectionately.

“I’m annoyed that we’re stuck in the mall, Cisco.” Harry grumbled.

“I know, babe, but we are stuck and that is just how it is. And we can sit here…” Cisco gestured vaguely to Harry’s person, “wrapped in towels or we can try to pull together a tent and maybe some food? What d’you say?” Cisco asked.

Harry turned to Cisco, finally letting some of the towels fall away. “What’s your plan?”

Cisco grinned and kissed Harry squarely on the mouth. “I’m sorry we’re stuck. But there’s no one I’d rather be stuck with than you.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Well I’d rather be un-stuck with you. But since we’re here, we may as well make the best of it. What do you think? You said you had a plan for food and a tent?”

“I didn’t say a plan exactly…” Cisco dodged

Harry looked suddenly utterly unimpressed.

.

Harry and Cisco could never have guessed that they’d be spending their night eating frozen mac and cheese they found in the employee freezer. They went to the toaster section and picked one out to cook the mac and cheese in, which was an ordeal in and of itself.

“We should get a cheap one so if they make us pay for it, it’s not that expensive.” Cisco suggested

Harry scoffed. “We should get the damn thing for free after getting stuck in here. Pick out one you’d want to keep.”

Cisco grinned. “I’m sure they’ll give it to us for free after they get one good look at you. You do have the face of a famous person turned murderer you know.”

Harry shrugged “He wasn’t that famous. I’m not that famous even on earth 2.”

“Oh boy, here comes the modesty all of a sudden. Even if you didn’t have the famous face of a murderer, you’re like every retail employee’s worst nightmare. I have seen the Jitters baristas legitimately cower away from you.” Cisco mused

Harry pointed a finger. “Those Jitters baristas did think I was your famous murderer though.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Cisco said, winking when Harry turned to argue again.

“Have you picked a toaster?” Harry decided to ask instead.

“I like this one.” Cisco said, pointing to a toaster oven combo that was a little fancier than Harry would have picked but hey, Harry did tell him to pick one he wanted to keep.

“Good. Plug it in.”

.

By 1am they had unboxed a Bluetooth speaker Cisco had decided he would pay for if he needed to. They were listening to music and were dancing around the store.

Cisco danced like no one was watching. His shoes had also long since come off and truth be told, he was feeling a little like Tom Cruise dancing around in his socks.

Dancing for Harry consisted of watching Cisco dance and swaying appreciatively.

Harry approached Cisco. “I should apologize for being grouchy. And. I should have known that even something so unlucky as getting stuck in the mall past closing…” Harry drifted off and chuckled a little to himself. Cisco cocked his head in confusion. “Anyway. I should have known that with you, anything is fun.”

Cisco smiled and his heart swelled. “C’mere.” He said and even though the music was not slow dance music, Harry and Cisco stepped closer to each other. Cisco’s forearms landed on Harry’s shoulders, Harry’s hands landed on Cisco’s waist, and they swayed gently with the music.  

Either way, there was an empty tray of microwave mac and cheese to the side next to them, but Harry had his arms wrapped around Cisco when the janitor came in and scared the two of them half to death.

They gasped and then suddenly looked at each other with wide eyes. “Freedom!” They shouted, in sync.

.

Later when Harry and Cisco were safely nestled back at Cisco’s apartment, they were still up. Neither could sleep after the night they’d had and plus, they had a lot to get done before Christmas. Cisco was busy making cookies and Harry was tucked away in Cisco’s bedroom, wrapping gifts.

Suddenly Harry was behind Cisco and there was soft, slow, instrumental Christmas music coming from Harry’s phone.

“Tonight was bizarre. But my big takeaway? We don’t slow dance enough.” Harry extended a hand for Cisco to step into his open arms.

Cisco smiled up at Harry and took off his apron. “Listen Harry, you’re not gonna hear any arguments from me.” He stepped into Harry’s space, putting his arms on his shoulders like they’d been earlier in the evening.

Harry cocked his head at Cisco and faked a gasp, as he snaked his arms around Cisco’s waist. “No arguments from you? That’ll be a first.”

Cisco gave Harry a look but they started to sway to the music and all Cisco could think to say was:

“Merry Christmas, Harry.”

[whumpflumpthump]

MacGyver Fic Continuation

Continuation of this, which was a continuation of this. :)

Hi wonderful people!!  I am back with the third and (probably) final installment in my very small story that stemmed from “Waking Up.”  I hope you enjoy one of my first attempts at fluff!  

Warnings: Mentions of violence and torture.

I hope you enjoy!!

....

“I got it!” Riley exclaimed from where she was sitting, perched behind her computer.

Bozer, Riley, Jack, and Matty all jumped up.  They had all gathered in the War Room after Mac had failed to meet Jack for their dinner.  After looking in the usual places for him, and Mac not answering any of their calls, they had assumed that he had been taken, a circumstance that sadly happened way too often in their line of work.

“Where is he Riley?” Jack asked.

“Some abandoned warehouse on the West side of town.  I sent the address to your phone.”

“A TAC team is waiting on you downstairs,” Matty said, “Go get our boy back.”

Jack nodded and walked out the door.

When he noticed Riley and Bozer following him, he turned to argue, but one look at their faces told him they would not be swayed.

Sighing, he continued on.  Reaching the awaiting TAC team, he quickly gave them a run down of the situation and the address Riley had given them.

Without pausing to make sure he was understood, Jack, Riley, and Bozer made their way to the waiting truck.  Within two minutes they were on their way.

No one talked the entire twenty-minute drive, they were all worried.  Not everyone knew the blonde as well as his team did, but none of them were blind to his boyish charm and the kindness that he showed to everyone he met.  There was no denying that they all felt a certain fondness over Angus MacGyver.

After their silent trip, they had finally arrived at the address.  It looked like it used to be a storehouse for some canning company, but had fallen into disrepair as the business closed.  It now was covered in a greenish-brown vine that crawled up the edge of the building to give the whole warehouse a very unsettling appearance, and with the slow rain falling outside, it looked like a scene from a very bad horror movie.

Of course they would choose the creepiest building.

And why did it have to be raining?

Jack was beginning to hate the person who took Mac even more than he had previously, which was no easy feat.

The TAC team spread out to scan the perimeter.  After a chorus of “Clear”s, they were ready to breach.  Jack was practically bouncing with anticipation as they prepared to enter.  

Riley seemed to sense his anticipation, and moved to be next to him.  “He’ll be alright.  He’s Mac,” she said quietly, fighting down her own nerves.

Jack couldn’t seem to find the energy to respond, so he just nodded.  He waited one more second, and then opened the door, trying to make the least amount of noise possible.  

They slowly crept inside, and, once his eyes adjusted to the dim light inside the warehouse, Jack saw he was in a large room, with two little hallways branching off to the left and right.  

Half of the team took the left hallway, and the other half, including Jack, took the right.

As he was walking through the damp corridor, Jack pulled one of his guns out of the holster on his hip.  His unease was mounting every second that he didn’t see the skinny blonde that had somehow wormed his way into his heart.

Finally, he reached the end of the hallway, and was facing a door.  When he opened it, he saw he was staring down a staircase.  When the building was still in use, it probably led down to a freezer room.  As he, followed by half the TAC team, walked down the stairs, he found himself in front of another door.  

When he opened this one, he saw that it still led to a small room, but it was no longer a freezer.  In the middle of the room, with his back to them, sat Mac.

“Mac!” Jack exclaimed, forgetting to check his surroundings before racing towards the boy. “Mac!” he shouted again when he didn’t get an answer.

He discovered why when he saw Mac clearly.  His head was drooped over his chest, and he was obviously unconscious.  Anger for whoever did this was simmering in Jack, threatening to spill over into rage, but he pushed it down.  Revenge could wait, his first mission was to get Mac to Phoenix Medical,  

He found himself gasping as he took in the rest of MacGyver’s injuries.  His shirt was hanging in threads, and cuts of varying depths were littered all over the boy’s body, from his chest to his forearms.  However, the worst was the wound from the knife that was still stuck in Mac’s thigh, blood slowly oozing out.

Jack pulled his gaze away from Mac’s cuts to focus on the restraints keeping him in his chair.  He started working on the leather straps across his ankles, and, once those were free, he moved on to his wrists.  As he started to undo the leather, Mac groaned as the leather rubbed against his already raw wrists.  Jack glanced sympathetically towards his friend, but continued to undo his restraints. 

Once he finished with Mac’s wrists, he moved to the strap across his chest, slowly undoing it.  Mac started to slump forward, and Jack frantically searched for a way to brace him, without putting much pressure on Mac’s bloody chest.  He quickly moved so that he was holding Mac upright by his shoulders, and then scooped Mac up so he was holding him bridal style in his arms.

As he was carrying MacGyver out, he noticed something sitting on a small table.  

It was a wine cork.

Murdoc.

He was going to kill that-

His thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of Riley and Bozer, red faced.  They looked at Jack and the unconscious blonde in his hands and their faces fell.

“Is he...” Riley started, unable to finish.

“Yes, he’s alive.  Right now I really just need to get him back to Medical, and RIley,” he called back, already rushing out of the room, “Tell Matty it was Murdoc.”

...

Mac awoke slowly, his bright blue eyes fluttering open.  The first thing he noticed was the bright fluorescent lights above him.  He knew what that meant.  He was in Medical, again.

As he looked down to examine himself, he noticed that the many cuts on his chest and arms were bandaged, along with the stab wound on his leg.  The pain had also decreased, probably due to the pain medication that was definitely getting pumped through the IV hooked up to him.

Finally, he noticed the other occupant in the room, Jack.  He was sitting in a chair, seemingly lost in thought, as he had not yet realized Mac was awake.

“Jack,” Mac said, his voice barely a whisper.

Jack almost jumped at that, turning to face the bed where Mac lay.  “Buddy, you scared me for a minute there.”  He said it with a smile, but Mac could see the genuine fear underneath, he frowned.

“I’m sorry,” Mac said, “for worrying you.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, man. Besides, I knew you’d pull through, you always do.”

“Jack,” Mac said, his tone growing more urgent, “it was Murdoc, that’s who kidnapped me.”

“We know buddy,” Jack’s eyes darkened, “he made sure we knew.  But don’t worry, the team is working on finding him as we speak, and I won’t ever let anything like that happen. Ever. Okay?’

Mac wasn’t sure he could keep that promise, but he smiled nonetheless, “Got it,”

“Now,” Jack said, starting to smirk “there are some pretty worried people out there dying to see you.”

....

Thanks so much for reading!! I think that’s it for this story, I hope you enjoyed it!  Have a great day!!

[jawritter]

Promised

Chapter: 3

**Series Warnings!! ** ABO dynamics! Smut, unprotected smut, knotting, claiming, mating, heat, rut, language, overly protective Jensen, age gap! 19-year-old reader, 41-year-old Jensen, virgin reader, loss of virginity, sort of an arranged marriage, hint at possible mob type settings.

Story Description:

In a world where your presentation can be a blessing or a curse, a newly presented Omega will come face to face with the harsh reality of Alphas, Omegas, and pack alliances that are expected to be upheld with the union of your two families…

A/N: Chapter 3!!! Please don’t copy my stuff! Feedback is welcomed! If you want to be added to the series tag list, or just my tag list in general let me know! Cross-posted on Wattpad! Hope you enjoy it!! This is my first ABO series so be nice lmao!

Word Count: 2981

Pairing: Jensen x Reader, Father x Reader, Mother x Reader

When you woke up the next morning you felt more exhausted than you did when you went to bed. You'd slept very little the night before. Tossing and turning the whole night. You would feel hot, then cold, all at the same time. Getting up and down more than once to adjust the temperature in the room.

Looking at the clock on your bedside table you saw that it was only five in the morning, and here you were again, awake, and sweating slightly. Even though you had the temperature sat at 64°F. 

You rolled over and kicked the covers off of you, standing up you quickly make your way to your bathroom and did your business. When you walked past the black cocktail dress you had on the night before that was still hanging on your closet door the most intoxicating smell hit you, but you didn't realize at the time it was coming from the dress. You must have spilled something on it.  The smell of fresh pine, mixed with warm sandalwood, and a smell that you couldn't quite pinpoint invaded your senses. Then a cramp hit you like a mac truck.

Falling onto your bed you did everything you could not scream in pain. 

'I must have eaten something bad at the party,' you thought to yourself as you curled yourself around the pillow and tried to ignore the twisting in your gut. 

Looks like your day was going to suck. Somehow you managed to fall back into an unrestful sleep as you felt a fever creep up under your skin. This is just what you needed. It’s bad enough you already let down your family. Now your sick on top of it.

-----------------------------------------------

The feeling of your mother's hands on your forehead and a cold rage being placed in their place woke you three hours later. That or the twisting pain in your stomach that had you whimpering. 

Strong smells in the room you'd never noticed before made you almost gag. Your mother's perfume and father's cologne seemed stronger than usual, everything was amplified.

"It's going to be okay dear... He's on his way," your mother said as you twisted in pain.

You didn't understand. Was the doctor making a house call?

"Her fever is really high Y/D/N. How long has she been like this?" you heard her ask your father.

"I don't know, Jessica came in to try and wake her for breakfast and found her soaking wet with fever. She's presenting. Jensen will be here soon. She belongs to him now....." 

Your father's voice ebbed away as unconsciousness took you again. 'This was it, you where an Omega now,' was the last thought you remember having before the fever-induced sleep pulled you under again.

The next thing you remember is the overwhelming scent of pine, warm sandalwood, and unique smell that you now knew was Jensen invading your every sense. 

You tried to open your eyes, but everything seemed blurry and fogged. You felt the bed dip under his weight for a moment. Then felt the warmth of his hand brush over your skin as he pushed your sweaty hair back out of your face. Taking off his Jacket you felt him wrap it around your body tightly. His sent making the cramps and pain ease some, going from feeling like someone was twisting a white-hot iron in your abdomen, to deep painful cramping.

You felt his arms wrap around your body and lift you off the bed lightly as he could, you cry out as the movement makes every joint in your body seem to feel like it was being torn apart. Jensen pulled you tight to his chest, and you could feel the light sway of his body as he left the room with you, and descended the stairs.

You sensed more than knew for sure that he was making his way through the house with you, and out of the front door. The cool air hitting your overheated body making you shiver violently and whimper loudly.

"Shhhh, It's okay, sweetheart."

His deep rumble seemed to hit your right in your core. Slick starting to coat your inner thighs. You nuzzled your face into his neck, breathing his scent deeply as he settled into the back of what you assumed was the black SUV from the night before. You still tightly held to his chest, seated on his lap. You heard the door shut and the car seemed to start moving. You could feel him stroking your hair as you whimpered against him. Feeling every bump of the SUV along the highway.

It vaguely crossed your mind that you were alone when he came and carried you out of the house, your parents didn't seem to be in the room or anywhere close to him when he came to take you. Your heart ached a little and you wondered off in the back of your mind if your very soon to be Alpha would allow you to see your family again.

The cramps seemed to be getting worse. You didn't know if it was from the constant movement of the car you where riding in, or it was the fact that you could literally feel your fever climbing higher under your skin. You started to cry against his neck, not able to control your emotions anymore. Fear, pain, loss... It all seemed so amplified now.

"Hang on we're almost there," you heard Jensen's deep voice rumble against you, sending another wave of slick to your core. 

You wondered briefly if his pants would be soaked by the time he stood with you. Moving his hand between your bodies you felt him unbutton his shirt all the way down to his belt, pulling it open, and then reached and ripped your oversized T-shirt you were still wearing down the front with barley just a pull of his strong hand. His jacket still covering your shoulders so that the driver couldn't see anything.

Pulling you tighter against him,  Jensen brought the bare skin of his exposed chest to yours, bringing his big warm hand and laying it over your stomach were the cramps seemed to be the worse. The feeling of your skin against his, and his warm hand putting pressure on your twisting gut seemed to help some, and you felt yourself drifting again somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness.

You somewhat awoke again when you felt the car come to a stop.

"Your room number is 433. Your bags and the bag that her parents prepared for her were already brought up," you heard a man say, his voice you didn't recognize. He didn't seem to have a prominent smell about him, so you just assumed he was a Beta. Jensen reached his hand away from your back and took the key card from him.

"Thanks Clif," he mumbled as he stood with you again. 

The cold hitting your skin, making you cry out against the pain as he began to move with you, faster this time toward what you assumed was his room. The elevator ride was absolute hell and seemed to make your pain in your stomach worse if that was possible.

You heard the door open and close. You tried to open your eyes to see if you could see where you were, but it was pretty dark in the room, and you couldn't see that well at the moment. Your fever must have been very, very high.

You didn't realize you were crying as hard as you were, but when you did it made it worse. The pain was horrible at this point was almost unbearable.

You felt Jensen lay you down on a soft bed. Your body seemed to cry out for him as soon as the contact between the two of you was broken.

You heard the A/C kick up in the room. He was trying to make it cooler for you. You felt his hands moving over and around you, as gently as possible, stripping you of what little bit of clothing you had on you.

Your eyes searched the room when his hands were gone from you again. You could see his form stripping his shirt down his strong, broad shoulders, his thick arm muscles rolling in a way that made your body literally ache for the Alpha standing a few feet from you. You couldn't really see, but you could hear his belt buckle being undone, and his paints hitting the floor along with them.

You felt the bed dip again. The warmth of his body hovering over yours seemed to radiate to your very core. Fear you didn't expect suddenly gripped you, and you tried to curl into yourself.

"It's okay little Omega, I'm going to take care of you." 

You didn't understand what he meant by that exactly, but you also didn't take a lot of comfort in his words.

"Sweetheart, I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Let me make it better." 

Jensen ran his fingers gently down your sides, and your body shivered under him; calling out to the Alpha above you. It wasn't your body, your body knew what it wanted. It was your mind. Your mind was in the way. You'd never known a man before. Period. Alpha, Beta, Omega, nothing. 

You where told you needed to stay pure for your Alpha. Now you were regretting that decision. Thinking that it would have been better if you had slept with at least a beta before. Maybe you wouldn't be so frightened.

"Open your eye Y/N, look at me." Jensen's deep voice sounded even deeper than you'd ever heard it before. It was a command. Your body willed itself to the Alpha automatically.

Your Alpha.

You looked up into his deep green eyes. They were darker than you remembered they were but soft in a way you didn't expect. 

His eyes searched yours a moment before bringing his lips down to yours, kissing you softly, softer than you would have ever expected him to do. Your body responded to him almost instantly. Releaf filling your body as he scent and breath surrounded you. He pressed the full weight of his body against you, pushing the cramps momentarily at bay.

"Baby, I would never, NEVER hurt you," he finally said once he pulled away to let you breathe for a moment. His forehead still resting on yours. His hands trailing over your skin the best he could in the hovering position he was laying in.

"Why are you so afraid of me, did someone hurt you before? Another Alpha, have you heard horror stories? What is it?"

You couldn't look him in the eye any longer. You couldn't answer him either. Just looked away. Tears streamed down your face.

"Omega, answer me. I need to know before we go any further if someone has hurt you." 

His deep voice willing your body to answer him. The omega in you more than willing to submit to him.

"No one has ever hurt me... I've never been with anyone before, ever."

You hated how small your voice sounded. You thought for a moment that he hadn't even heard you. Until he buried his face in your neck, scenting you deeply. A purr leaving his chest without his own consent.

"I'm going to take care of you Y/N, trust me, everything is going to be fine, trust your body, this is what it was designed to do. Everything will be fine I promise." 

His teeth grazed the junction of skin between your shoulder and neck. A cramp ripped through your body as a fresh wave of slick coated your legs. Your body was willing to the Alpha.

You nod your head and he smiled at you softly. 

"Mine, only mine," he mumbled, his eyes searching over you, growing darker and darker.

Slowly, moving more gently than you ever thought he would, he began to trail kisses from your ear to your neck. Then down between your breast, pulling your exposed nippled into his mouth. Twirling his tongue around your nipple, sucking it softly. 

Your body arched into his of its own accord. He moved over to the other nipple. Giving it the same attention as the other. His hand slowly running up the inside of your inner thigh from your knee until his fingers brushed against your soaking wet folds. A growl left his lips as a small timid moan left yours.

He brought his mouth to yours as his thumb started to make little circles around your aching clit with just enough pressure to drive you insane. His tongue licked at your bottom lip asking for entrance. Your body granting it to him without you even thinking about it. He explored your mouth slowly while working a single thick digit inside your throbbing core, curling it inside of you, hitting a spot you didn't even know existed. 

Your body jerked underneath him, and he smiled against your lips, slipping two more digits inside of you. Stretching you almost painfully, but laced with a pleasure you'd never even known before. Your body was practically vibrating with need, the coil inside your stomach tightening painfully.

"Gonna knot you Omega, mark you, make you mine, but I got to get you ready first."

You don't really know what it was. His hot breath fanning across you overheated skin, his scent, his fingers doing things you didn't even know existed, but the coil inside you snapped and you came undone under him. Your body jerking violently as noses left your mouth you didn't even know you were capable of. 

He worked you slowly through it as slick coated his hand, preparing your body for him, just like he wanted. Purrs and growls leaving his chest as he licked at the same place on your neck over and over... The spot that would soon have his mark. 

Forever.

When you finally were able to breathe properly again he pulled his fingers from you, your body was already cramping again. A whimper left your lips as he lined himself up with dripping core, distracting you by placing a chaste kiss to your lips, as he slid his thick, long, length inside of you in one quick snap of his hips.

White-hot pain shot through your body, you opened your mouth in a silent scream as he became fully seated inside of you, grabbing on his shoulders tightly, digging your nails into the skin there. A growl left his lips loud enough to snap your attention to his. His eyes on yours, watching you as he held himself still. Giving you time to adjust to the new sensation of being fuller than you'd ever been in your life.

Running his fingers through your hair, and whipping the tears away from your face, with his lips he purred against you again. Trying to soothe you. 

"I'm sorry pretty girl, but the quicker I did that the better. It will pass soon.."

He nuzzled his face into your neck, purring as licked over your sweaty skin. Waiting for you body to adjust to him fully, your walls tightening around him, then loosening on their own.

After a few minutes, just as promised, the pain ebbed away, and you rolled your hips against him cautiously, needing to feel him move inside of you. Slowly at first, his hips began to move against yours. Pulling himself out slowly before sinking back in completely. Your body accepted him like he'd always belonged there. 

At first it stung, but pain quickly gave way to pleasure, and you soon enough you were a moaning mess underneath him.

Your body greedily pulling at his length, he began to pound into you at an unmerciful place, growls and grunts leaving his lips, pulling you quickly toward the edge, your second orgasm hit you without warning. Your vision blurred for a moment as your body arched almost off the bed. Waves of pleasure you'd never known racking your body, screaming as you came around him. A deep growl left Jensen's lips as he pounded into you faster. Working you through it.

"That's it Omega, open up for me pretty girl," his teeth grazing your neck again.

Pulling out of you without warning he flipped you over onto your stomach, pulling you up to present for him then slamming back into you at an even faster pace. His knot starting to swell and catch at your entrance, making it harder and harder to thrust into you...

"Alpha," you moaned into the pillow, fear starting to grip you, you knew what was coming. You were afraid you were going to hurt. You'd never had an alpha's knot before...

"It's okay. One more time sweetheart. I need you to come for me, I'm almost there."

Rubbing your clit furiously your body responded to his touch, and your third Orgasm hit you like a freight train, completely flooring you as you screamed his name. His knot swelling instantly, holding him in place as he spilled into you.

You felt his teeth sink into your neck at the spot he'd been favoring all night, and another wave of pleasure floored you. This time you did blackout for a moment. Undescribable pleasure mixed with the feeling of your bond between you as he lapped at the fresh mark your neck was too much, and somehow not enough.

Finally when you had both came down from your high Jensen lower your bodies carefully onto the bed, pulling your back tight to his chest, licking at you mark again; soothing it.

After a few moments you could feel unconsciousness pulling at you again, exhaustion hitting you hard. Your fever finally is gone for now, and your body was still locked with your alpha's knot deep inside you.

"You okay Omega?" Jensen asked, and all you could do was a nod to him, words failing you. A feeling of calm washed over you. You could only assume it was coming from his as you fell asleep in his arms. Everything would be different now. You belonged to Jensen... 

You were one with him. 

For life. 

That should scare you, but it didn't at that moment, all you could feel was calm, and peace.

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Catch up! Chapter 2

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